


Keep you Like an Oath

by AuthenticAussie



Series: and we can watch the stars on the water [58]
Category: One Piece
Genre: Drabble Collection, Fluff and Angst, Multi, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, tumblr requests
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-10-26
Updated: 2017-06-11
Packaged: 2018-04-26 11:34:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 52
Words: 28,486
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5003233
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AuthenticAussie/pseuds/AuthenticAussie
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>(may nothing but death do us part)</p><p>[drabble/requests]</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Ace & Luffy

**Author's Note:**

> Drabble collection! Mainly because...I have so many drabbles on tumblr that I get from requests...but I'm to lazy to upload them here...
> 
> Rating & warnings will probably change per chapter (but likely won't go higher than T). 
> 
> **Rating:** G  
>  **Characters:** Ace  & Luffy  
> Notes: Technically an au bc there's no feasible way for Ace to know about second gear?? But I wanted to write about the situation anyway. vuv

"Why are you  _doing_ this?" Ace growled, fingers scrabbling against Luffy's shirt, tightening around his biceps and yanking him back. "You'll  _kill_ yourself!"

Luffy's flat gaze burned, and though he had to tilt his head up to look Ace in the eye, Ace still felt as though he were shrinking, his insides pulled tight. "I need to be able to protect them," Luffy said, jaw set and eyes hard, and Ace had no time to wonder when his little brother had grown into such a harsh young man. When had Luffy turned from rubber, easily pliant, to steel? When had he straightened his spine, laced it with metal, and shouldered the weight of the world and his crews' dreams?

He could feel the thud of Luffy's blood pressing against his thumb and forced his hands to relax in case his fire raged out of control and burnt Luffy. "You don't have to do it this way," Ace said, knowing his lip curled with the bitter words. "You don't have to win a fight but lose part of your life along the way, you  _stupid-!_ "

Luffy ripped his arm from Ace's grasp, back straight and taut and face devoid of the grin Ace had gotten so used to seeing from him. Instead, his lips were barred in a snarl that Ace knew he'd gotten from his crew, and he spat, "I won't lose anyone. I'm gonna fight for them, Ace, I'm not  _dying_  for them."

"Yeah you are!" Ace roared, and his fire howled with him, back erupting into flickering flames that licked at the sky. "You say that like you think I don't know your second gear hurts! That I don't know you're killing yourself every time you use it!"

"At least I'll keep them safe!" Luffy shouted back, his throat ripping the words and making them screech in Ace's ears, "I'm not losing  _anyone_! Never ever  _again!_ "

Ace's jaw trembled as he locked it, a brutal growl in the back of his throat that he held back through sheer will alone, and he breathed a tiny tongue of fire through his teeth, trying to calm. "Luffy-"

"I'm not going to stop." Luffy interrupted, and Ace swallowed back the bubble in his throat that screamed  _yeah you will!_

"Then promise me you'll only use it as a last resort," he said instead. "Only use it if your crew is in danger."

Luffy gave him a glass shard grin, sharp toothed and somehow close to normal, but Ace felt his heart clench at the loss of his little brother's innocence, his stomach tie itself into slow knots.

Luffy never promised anything he couldn't keep, and he was silent so long that Ace knew he wouldn't make the vow now. Luffy had a selfish, bleeding heart. He was gullible and friendly and fell in love with people as fast as people fell in love with his smile.

Luffy would fight for anyone he thought deserved it, and he was always believed in innocent until proven guilty, (until proven scarred and scared, and then he grinned and held out his hand. Ace hadn't realised that Luffy had perfected that tactic on him until he realised that Luffy had collected a crew of walking mishaps and self-called monsters and he could see parts of his scars mirrored in their bruises.)

Luffy would never give a promise he wouldn't die keeping, but this one would kill him either way, so he was silent and Ace forced himself to let it go.


	2. Koala & Sabo

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rating: T  
> Characters: Koala & Sabo  
> TW: None  
> Notes: This kiddo is 22 years old and he's the second in command of the revolutionary army. He's seen some bad stuff.

****Sabo woke with a strangled scream, clawing at the blankets tangled around his legs and heaving in desperate breaths. Visions of the battlefield still hung in his eyes, screams filling his ears, and he doubled over, clasping his hands over his ears and unable to stop sobbing. His heart pounded, sweat hot on his skin, and when someone touched his back he lashed out, fear and memories still ruling his body.

His wrist was caught, and his eyes snapped open, sobs hitching in hysteria until his terrified brain finally reconciled the face in front of him with safety. He lunged forwards, burying himself in Koala's open arms. "It's okay," she whispered, the sound echoing through her chest, but Sabo still couldn't stop crying, clenching onto the back of her shirt desperately, as though she could hold back the monsters as long as he couldn't see them. "Oh Sabo, it's okay, you're safe now. I promise."

"They're always there-" he said, shivering as cold air cooled the sweat on his body, "God, Koala, they're always-"

He couldn't finish speaking, breath hitching into another soundless cry, and she pulled him even closer, gently rocking back and forth.

She stayed with him till the morning came, and the memories went away for another day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please R&R!


	3. Sabo & Ace

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Rating: T  
> Characters: Ace + Sabo  
> TW: Abuse/Mentions of Abuse

 

The purple bruise blossoming on Sabo's swollen eye when he came home made Ace immediately jump to his feet, mouth parted in horror.

"I fell." Sabo said quickly when he saw Ace's look, "Honest."

"Fell onto someone's  _fist,_ " Ace said as he crossed the living room so he could tenderly inspected Sabo's face. "Christ Sabo, who the hell did this to you?"

He could see Sabo chew on the words, his jaw clicking, but Sabo's blue eyes merely slid away from his own and he merely answered, "I just fell."

"It was your dad, wasn't it?" Sabo jumped, head snapping to Ace in surprise, and Ace nodded, sealing his lips. He  _knew_  it. He  _knew_ that bastard wouldn't keep his hands off Sabo when angry, even if Sabo had done little to provoke him. "You don't have to-" Sabo pushed his hand off, shoving past him to the kitchen, and Ace grit his teeth, following. "Sabo, listen to me!"

"I  _am._ And it's the same thing you always say - that I should leave! Well unlike you, I wouldn't get government grant, and my parents would have me dragged back before the day was over. So sorry for not wanting to have to put up with another  _lecture!"_

Sabo's chest heaved, eyes sparking in anger, but realisation hit him a few seconds later and Ace watched as the rage fled him, replaced with regret. "I'm sorry," he mumbled, running a hand through his hair. "I'm just- I'm so tired of having to-"

"It's alright," Ace said, gathering Sabo up in his arms and feeling him stiffen before he relaxed with a sigh, forehead dropping to Ace's shoulder.

"I want to get out of there as much as you want me too," he whispered, hands latched onto Ace's shirt. "I just can't."


	4. Sabo/Law

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> rating: G  
> characters: Law/Sabo  
> TW: None

 

"Please stop petting the test subjects," Law muttered, giving Sabo a dark glare, but Sabo only blinked innocently back at him, hefting the tiny furred creature into his arms.

"But look Law, it's so  _smalllll._ " Sabo cooed, pouting and holding the fuzzy thing near his face, "Isn't it adorable?"

Law scoffed, turning his attention back to his clipboard and scrawling down more notes on the behaviour of the creatures in the pen before him. "I hope it kills you."

"So cruel," he heard Sabo say, but saw Sabo place the creature down and stand next to him, hands shoved into the pockets of his lab coat. "Don't worry Lawsie, you're cuter than the little baby." Sabo placed a kiss against his cheek, and Law jumped, feeling his heart skyrocket before he swatted Sabo with his clipboard.

"Well you're most certainly not!" he shot angrily, and Sabo only chuckled, winking at him as he made his way further down the pen.

"That's because I'm  _hot._ "


	5. Zoro/Luffy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> rating: G  
> characters: Luffy/Zoro  
> TW: None
> 
> "Surely this is not proper work for someone of your status."

“I’m the  _pirate_ king, not a  _baby_ ,” Luffy said, and Zoro had to a stifle a grin at the sight of the frozen faux polite smile that their noble visitor was wearing. Obviously the prissy man hadn’t expected Luffy to be washing the dishes when he demanded an audience with Luffy, a task that Luffy now attacked with great relish and the tiniest bit of Sanji’s drummed in finesse. 

Their guest did seem to expect that Zoro would be hanging around like a shadow, though, and tried to ignore him, “Strawhat Luffy, the world government demands that you-” 

“ _Zooorroo,_ ” Luffy whined, and he cast Zoro a pout that made Zoro grin. 

“With pleasure, captain,” he said, and cast his sharp-toothed smile on their now terrified and shaking guest. 


	6. Ace

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rating: G  
> Characters: Ace  
> TW: None  
> Notes: A take on Ace after Sabo's 'death'.

He has never been as good at laughter as Luffy was, never been as adept at smiling like Sabo, but with Sabo-

with Sabo swallowed by the sea, he has to force himself to keep his lips stretched wide, drawing on the muscle memory of hours spent in the sunshine with both his brothers.

He breathes and laughs and reminds himself that Luffy is afraid of being lonely, so he can’t just leave; can’t sail away from every painful memory attached to every tally point of wins and losses, every piece of wood that went into making their tree house. He reminds himself that the sea is vast and the sky is wide and that his feelings are insignificant in the grand scheme of things, but-

But it does little to help the fact that his chest aches whenever he sees a gap-toothed grin, whenever they run across something Sabo had marked as his.

It’s like playing with a timebomb, seeing how long it takes for the ache hurting his heart to fade verses how long it will take for him to break; but feelings aren’t easy to make into equations and hurt divided by the number of days in the year doesn’t equal anything but constancy.


	7. Ace

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rating: G  
> Characters: Ace  
> TW: None  
> Notes: Semi-connected to the last post

He never lets Luffy see the letter.

(It’s half possessiveness, half pain, half what he knows is the misguided attempt to protect Luffy from the knowledge Sabo had been grasping for - had been so close to - freedom and happiness.

But it is all for the vain attempt to get his chest to stop feeling so hollow.)


	8. Sabo/Ace

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rating: T  
> Characters: Sabo + Ace (koala, referenced.)  
> TW: descriptions of violence (implied)
> 
> "I trusted you. You were the only one I trusted, and for what? So you can stab my back?”

Sabo’s teeth caught the inside of his cheek, peeling away a strip of flesh as he tried to ignore the betrayal and hurt he could see in Ace’s eyes. “That was your fault. Besides, I stabbed you in the side. I would never stab you in the back.”

_And I didn’t want to do it,_ he thought, hoping beyond hope that Ace would be able to read his mind like he usually seemed able too, but Ace’s glare only intensified.  _I had to!_

Ace’s anger was palpable, lip curled in a growl even as he clutched at his bleeding side. “Like  _that_ makes it any better?” he demanded, and Sabo let his wrist flop. The dagger in his hand felt to heavy to hold, point dropping to the pavement, blood dripping down the side. 

“You shouldn’t be inaccurate. The way something is worded has always been very important.“ 

He couldn’t say exactly what he meant, knowing that any slip of the tongue would easily be caught by the microphone he wore, but he could  _try._ He could try and make Ace understand that the only reason he’d apparently betrayed him was because if didn’t do what he’d been told, Koala would be slaughtered. 

_Please, understand my hint._

When Ace only scoffed, straightening with a hiss of pain, Sabo knew that for all his hopes Ace didn’t understand what he was trying to say. 


	9. Shanks/Mihawk

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rating: T  
> Characters: Shanks/Mihawk  
> TW: None
> 
>  
> 
> “If you keep looking at me like that we won’t make it to a bed.”

“Don’t worry, I’ll make sure you make it to the execution stand first.”

“ _Hawky,_ ” Shanks complained, pouting, “you’re so mean!” 

Mihawk raised his eyebrow, giving Shanks a pointed stare, and turned his attention back to the newspaper. Shanks would preoccupy himself, as long as Mihawk ignored him-

Shanks decided the best thing he could do with his time was slid onto the table in front of Mihawk, knees creating twin indents in Mihawk’s paper.

“Must you?” Mihawk inquired coldly, and Shanks leaned forwards, grin sharp as he bent Mihawk’s paper.

“Well you can always help me occupy my time in some  _other_ fashion,” he said, and Mihawk felt the hint of a smile on the corner of his lips before he firmly told his mouth to stop misbehaving.

“But them I’d have to put down this article. And it’s very interesting.”

“I promise you,” Shanks said, and this time his look promised that they likely _wouldn’t_ make it to a bed, “I’m ten times more interesting.” Shanks grinned, and then added, “And if not, well, you can make good on that execution stand. Should add a little  _danger,_ huh?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To anyone who leaves me comments: I know I don't reply to them on archive (merely bc I prefer private messaging to the reply system archive currently runs), but please please please know that the amount of happiness I get from reading your messages is ridiculous. It can make me grin all day and I cherish every word, and adore anyone who takes time out of their day to tell me what they thought. 
> 
> So thank you so so much!!


	10. Marco/Ace

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rating: T  
> Characters: Marco/Ace  
> TW: Kissing  
> Notes: Request for lip kiss.

Ace ducked beneath Marco’s punch, his lithe body darting forwards, and Marco barely managed to get out of the way, dancing backwards on light feet and kicking out. Ace merely grinned at him, moving past Marco’s guard with ease and latching onto Marco’s forearms so they were grappling.

Ace would do anything to win, even switch the rules so they were wrestling instead of practicing hand-to-hand. Then again, the only purpose of their fight was to win.

As Ace’s upper body strength managed to surpass Marco’s, he soon found himself twisted around, and barely managed to hook his leg around the back of Ace’s knee, pulling Ace down on top of him. Marco hit the ground with a grunt of pain but quickly rolled over, the plastic mats squishing beneath his shoulder. Ace, however, refused to let himself be pinned and they writhed on the ground for a minute, neither gaining the other hand.

Finally, Marco managed to pin Ace’s legs down, leaning on Ace’s left arm with his elbow and twisting the other over and down Ace’s body. Ace struggled, panting, but couldn’t manage to wriggle free again, shoulder pinned awkwardly in a way that wouldn’t let him roll over. 

“Give up, yoi?” Marco asked, unable to help the smirk that flickered across his lips. 

Ace’s chest heaved as he tried to catch his breath, and he glared at Marco for his tease. “I still- have some tricks up my sleeve,” he panted, his own devilish grin pulling up the corner of his lips. 

Marco’s eyes flicked to Ace’s smile for a second, heat rushing through blood, but he firmly told his stupid heart to stop pounding like a drum; Ace’s words had been a taunt, not a flirt.

Ace bucked beneath him, surprising Marco with the sudden movement, and Ace managed to swing his right arm free, unbalancing Marco’s legs and sending him arching lower. Ace latched his elbow behind Marco’s neck, pulling himself up and Marco closer, and then kissed him. 

Marco’s heart stopped.

Ace’s lips pressed forcefully against his own, short stealings of Marco’s breath, and Marco’s heart leapt from stillness to frantic, elated thumping. He kissed back eagerly, eyes fluttering closed as he slipped his left hand up to Ace’s hair, tangling his fingers in the short strands and making Ace grin against his mouth, biting at his bottom lip. 

Then, the world twisted.

Marco found himself pressed to the mat, Ace’s elbows locking his arms down, and stared at Ace in undisguised surprise. “Gotcha.” Ace whispered, eyes dancing, tongue tracing his teeth, and Marco felt the surprise melt off his face, replaced by a heart breaking realisation. 

Ace would do anything to win.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Notes: thiiiis is from another gangster/fight au but pretty much the basis is that Ace falls in love w/ Marco bc of Marco's fighting style??  
> But then Sabo likes him a lot too so they're like let's have a bet and see which one can win him over (i d i o t s) and Ace's idea is SURPRISE KISSES!!  
> ONLY MARCO THOUGHT IT WAS A DISTRACTION DUE TO THE FIGHT AND NEITHER OF THEM TALKED ABOUT IT  
> BC THEY'RE IDIOTS  
> SO THEN EVERYONE PINES.


	11. Marco/Sabo

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rating: G  
> Characters: Marco/Sabo  
> TW: Kissing  
> Notes: "marcosabo, kiss on the nose?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> still doing requests atm, so feel free to shoot me those if you'd like

Sabo sniffled, swiping snot from his flushed red nose before shoving his cold hands back into his pockets. His breath danced in the air in front of him, and he hunched his shoulders, walking faster in an attempt to get home before the predicted snowfall of the evening.

Hopping up the stairs to the old fashioned, black bricked housing block, Sabo fumbled for a moment with his keys before managing to get the door open, slipping inside with a sigh of pleasure. He carefully shed his jacket, hanging it up, and Ace poked his head round the corner.

“Sabo’s home!” Ace called over his shoulder, grinning at Sabo but then continuing through the hall, hefting a large box. Marco soon followed him, but his hands were empty and he joined Sabo by the door, kissing his red nose.

“Welcome home, Rudolph,” Marco teased and Sabo stuck his tongue out. The action only made Marco laugh harder, and he bent, placing a kiss against Sabo’s chapped lips. “Forgive me, yoi?” he asked innocently, and Sabo rolled his eyes, moving forwards so his lips grazed Marco’s.

“Dunno,” he said, smirking and tilting his head slightly, “I think you’ll have to make it up to me.”


	12. Marco/Ace(/Sabo)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rating: G  
> Characters: Marco/Ace (/Sabo)  
> TW: Innuendos  
> Notes: upside down kiss is my literal favourite

Marco and Ace had spent several years cultivating their reputations as the Red Line’s top supervillains, paving the way for them to take further territory for pops down in the Blue district area. They’d easily surpassed the city’s previous hero, but with Ace and Marco in charge of 90% of the crime, most of it actually dropped. 

Though not supervillains in the traditional sense, their blatant disregard of the rules (and their frequent robberies) led to them being two of the most wanted villains in the Red Line/Blue district area. 

The Phoenix and Firefist, known for their wit, intelligence, and the subtle grace with which they pulled off crimes.   

Marco couldn’t help but think that if anyone could see them now, their reputation would be in tatters. 

He glanced disapprovingly at Ace, wishing he could fold his arms. Ace grinned at Marco sheepishly, swinging back and forth slowly. 

“What did you do?” Marco asked in a long-suffering tone, “How on earth did you even-?”  

Ace pursed his lips, glancing away in embarrassment. “The trap may have exploded,” he mumbled quietly, and then added, “Which means this is totally not my fault!”

“You built that trap,” Marco pointed out, wriggling against the ropes that had tied him to the ceiling as well. “with the express purpose of catching Blue. Why on earth didn’t you make sure it wouldn’t explode on  _you?”_

“It’s a basic trap!” Ace defended, “How am I meant to do that?”

“I don’t think a basic trap is going to work. Are you forgetting he can phase through things?”

“One of these days  _he’s_  going to forget,” Ace grumbled, before giving a low, sick-sounding groan. “Can you just shift and get us down?”

Marco arched an eyebrow incredulously. “Why do  _I_ have to shift? Ace, you’re made of fire! Just burn them off!”

“But then I can’t reuse it,” Ace whined, but at Marco’s glare relented and turned to flames, flipping to the ground as the ropes burnt. He staggered for a moment, blood rushing to his head, but with a quick shake pulled himself back to human form. 

Marco waited patiently for Ace to regain his balance, but when Ace’s attention drifted to the bank of computers along the wall he gave a pointed cough. “Forgetting something? I kind of want to get down too, yoi.”  

Ace hummed, grinning as he moved closer. “I dunno, I kind of like seeing you tied up.”

Unimpressed, Marco glared at him again, but Ace only laughed, stealing a quick kiss. “That’s not going to make me any happier,” Marco grumbled, but Ace stole another kiss, this time not pulling back, latching his hands into the rope by Marco’s side to prevent him from swinging away.     

“Not even now?” Ace whispered, voice lilting in Marco’s ears, and Marco had to stop himself from shivering. He hummed softly instead of answering, stealing his own kiss and making Ace grin. Heat flared against his side, and Marco felt the ropes holding him up snap. His body drifted down to the ground gracefully, and Ace’s hands tightened around his back, pulling him close as he landed.

“I suppose  _now_ is a bit better,” he murmured against Ace’s lips, and felt Ace grin. “Though I can think of something else-”  

“Oh for God’s sake!” Marco heard Blue curse from behind them, and he couldn’t help but jump, startled. “What is this, the  _fifth_  time?”

“Sixth!” Ace called, a laugh in his voice, and stole another kiss before rocking to his tip toes and peering over Marco’s shoulder at Blue. His lips pulled into a grin, and Marco could easily imagine his eyes dancing behind his mask. Marco turned, allowing Ace to slip to his side, and rested his weight on his back leg, glad that they hadn’t been in the process of shedding their masks like they had the  _last_ time Blue had shown up.  

“Should I just come back?” Blue demanded, hands splayed to his side, “Or would you rather I wait to the side until you finish?“   
  
“Well you can always come join us.” Ace said, smirking, and Marco tried not to laugh as Blue’s face screwed up, cheeks turning red.     
  
“Yeah, no. I’d rather not.”

“Pity,” Marco drawled, fighting to suppress a grin but unable to help himself from adding his own comment, “That would have been fun. Fraternization with the enemy and all, yoi.”

“Oh, I’d hope we go further than fraternization.” Ace said, and Blue buried his face in his hands.

“Please  _stop,”_ he begged,completely flustered, “Just let me arrest you!“


	13. Ace

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rating: T  
> Characters: Ace  
> TW: Depersonalisation 
> 
> Part of _House of Cards_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks again for leaving so many reviews you guys!! I really appreciate it ;u;

Ace can compartmentalise as easy as anything, like the parts of his brain are storage boxes that he can pack away and pile in the dark recess of his head.

Only, the problem with hiding them away in the dark is that they morph in his mind, tear away the cardboard and hiss their deadly venom into his dreams. The problem with hiding them in the dark is that they grow and as they grow Ace has to add another box of memories to be locked away, building a beast in the back of his brain.

He packs away the ugly thoughts, the deadened dreams, the dirty blood in his veins and on his hands, stashes away the pang in his heart, the sick feeling in his stomach, the weight of guilt and self-hatred, and in the back of his head is built a beast that will rip him apart.

Ace’s home is in the darkness, and in the darkness his monster will stay, filmy white eyes making it lash out against any that would earn Ace’s wrath. It slinks through his mind, whispering warped words into his ears, filling his head with twisted daydreams that it slowly tears down, giving him hope and then picking it apart.

At night, the monsters rule his head, controlled by their bitter, angry king, and Ace has close to no defence. It is no war, no hard-fought battle; it is resistance, but resigned. How could he fight the thoughts from his own mind?

While the moon hangs clouded in the sky and Ace has to bite back his breath for fear of discovery, the monsters curl like cats, purring pure satisfaction in time to his racing heart.

The noise of their growls is enough to wake him from sleep, when he manages to get some. It is loud enough to echo in his hollow chest and in his ears, and no matter how good he is at compartmentalising, the beasts slip free, slinking from their locked cages and running rampant, scratching and leaving their mark in the dark.

And when morning comes, Ace has to rebuild the locks and pack his monsters back into their boxes.


	14. Ace, Sabo & Luffy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rating: G  
> Characters: Ace & Luffy & Sabo  
> TW: None  
> Notes: " Go Out With A Smile " trope

There were-

There were a lot of differences between Ace and Sabo, to Luffy. Ace was loud and brash and didn’t run away and sometimes wasn’t very clever, but he cared a lot and Luffy was always  _always_ safe with him.

Sabo was smart and protective and knew when to run away and would sacrifice anything and everything to keep Luffy safe and it made him feel so  _loved_ but at the same time he wished Sabo wouldn’t because Sabo’s sacrifices were so so big.

There were a lot of similarities too. 

They both grinned like scarecrows, wide and wild, they both laughed like nothing could hurt them, let their memories fly with the wind and-

and they both moved in front of him, when he needed protecting. They both put their lives on the line to save him and- 

They both went out with a smile.


	15. Sanji/Usopp

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rating: G  
> Characters: Sanji/Usopp  
> TW: None  
> Notes: They're such dorks wtf

“The paint’s supposed to go  _where_?”

“Back closet!” Usopp called, then let out a loud yelp as something crashed to the ground. Sanji winced, but as he was currently carrying four different tins of blue (that apparently Usopp had completely and  _utterly_ needed, despite not having even used them,) he left Usopp to struggle.

It hadn’t sounded  _to_ bad, anyway, and Usopp was already letting out a low groan of depressed defeat.

He’d be fine.

Sanji staggered into the dim back closet, carefully peering around his paint tins and giving an irritated curse when he noticed the paints were all gathered higgly-piggely, bronze mixed with green and black mixed with some weird blueish grey.

“ _Where_ in the back closet?” he grumbled to himself, glaring at the disorganisation. Honestly, you’d think that the art teacher would have  _some_ sort of order, considering how many people would have to use these paints, but apparently not. What Sanji wouldn’t give for three hours in here, armed with place cards and a permanent marker. 

“You just gotta put them anywhere, Sanji,” Usopp said with a quiet laugh, slotting his paintbrushes into anywhere they’d fit and dropping his now-clean palettes in the same fashion.

Sanji gave another grumpy grumble, muttering under his breath about the room, but finally relinquished his grip, managing to fit them all into as close an area as he could manage without ending up with paint all over him. Mission successful, he internally congratulated himself on a job well done, having managed to completely keep himself clean this time. 

When he turned around and saw Usopp biting back a grin, however, he realised that it may have been to soon to declare himself safe. “Don’t you dare-,” he ordered, backing away, and Usopp smiled innocently at him.

“What, Sanji?” he said, slowly pulling out a set of paint brushes absolutely _dripping_ with the blue paint Sanji had just put away. “I thought you liked my art projects.”

“Not when they’re on  _me!_ ” Sanji said, narrowly avoiding a paint tin. Usopp lunged forwards, blue paint landing on Sanji’s nose. He gave a disgruntled whine, but that only made Usopp grin even wider, splashing another blue onto Sanji’s hand. “Oh that’s it,” he growled, roughly grabbing his own weaponry and swiping it through the blue on his hand so that he could return the favour. 

Usopp gave a high-pitched squeal, the sound dissolving into a laugh, and then scurried from the closet, Sanji close on his heels. “At least you figured out where the paint belongs!” 

“It’s going to be on you in half a second!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please R&R!   
> Now that the dates also match up with the chapters (for me, at least,) I'm going to be uploading a chapter a day until they're all posted!


	16. Nami/Vivi

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rating: G  
> Characters: Nami/Vivi  
> TW: Innuendos  
> Notes: "crashed the wrong party by accident'"

“I don’t think this is where we were meant to end up,” Vivi said, giving a worried glance to Nami, who looked about as shocked as she did.

The children in front of them blinked their large eyes innocently at the girls, and one of them chirped up, “Are you the magicians?”

“I can make her turn red like a strawberry,” Nami offered, and the children glanced around to each other, giving small nods of approval, even while Vivi’s mouth dropped open and an embaressed flush coated her cheeks.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AND NAMI PROCEDED TO TICKLE VIVI AND WHEN THEY GOT HOME RIBBED HER ABOUT HER DIRTY MIND  
> BECAUSE HOW COULD SHE PPPOSSSSIIBLLLY THINK NAMI WOULD KISS HER IN FRONT OF ALL THOSE KIDS?? \  
> THAT IS SAVED FOR WHEN THEIR PARENTS ARE AROUND SO NAMI CAN GET THEIR LOOKS OF HORROR


	17. Franky/Robin

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rating: G  
> Characters: Franky/Robin  
> TW: None  
> Notes: SUPERSPOOKYONEPIECE said: "Okay but fairy tale tangled with Frobin!!!"

Franky, as one may be able to tell, had a certain lack of finesse when it came to finding strange people in his room. In fact, he had a certain lack of finesse when it came to a  _lot_ of things, but that was a mere digression at this point.

The point being there was someone in his room  _and they really shouldn’t have been._

Considering his room was a tower in the middle of the ocean, and the only person who ever came to visit was the mermaid Kokoro, who stayed stuck in the ocean, or the stupid dick who tried to make him give up the position of his kingdom’s greatest treasure, Spandam, it seemed highly unlikely that they’d just  _dropped by,_ so he’d done the most logical thing he could think of at the time.

Granted, it may have been an overreaction, as they both were currently hidden behind furniture but in his defence, the cake had been the closest thing at hand!

And the completely shocked look on the woman’s previously composed face had  _definitely_ made it worth it.

(Though the smile she now sported was better than both.)


	18. Sabo & Ace

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rating: G  
> Characters: Sabo & Ace  
> TW: None
> 
> Part of a Magic AU where things such as Music, Art, and Performing all have specific abilities.

The dirty grey from Ace’s quiet song twisted between his hands, changing from shades of black to a lighter blue as he tried to find the right combination of notes to make it glow – he was much better playing Music with his guitar than he was singing it, but as the song he was trying to cast was a present for Luffy, and Luffy was currently amusing himself by trying to learn guitar, he’d had to leave the instrument behind and escape outside to finish the song.

His concentration so utterly fastened on the song in his hands, he didn’t notice when Sabo came up behind him and remarked curiously, “I didn’t know you could sing.”

“ _Shit!_ ” Ace yelped, the song flaring a piercing yellow and exploding in his hands, and the both of them were flung backwards, into the dirt. “ _Sabo-_ ” Ace complained angrily, staring at the gross black lump that now occupied where his song had been before. “I was finally getting somewhere with that!”

Sabo winced, looking extremely apologetic, and he offered Ace a sheepish grin that only made Ace give him a glare. “Sorry,” he said, “You did sound nice though.”

Ace snorted, staring at his hands before heaving a sigh and leaning on Sabo’s shoulder. “You’re such a liar. Luffy’s the Singer. Besides, none of the notes were coming out okay, and I don’t know how I’m going to finish it when Luffy won’t give me back my guitar.”

“Why can’t you just take it off him?” Sabo asked, and Ace gave him a look like ‘are you  _stupid_ ’?

“Because then he’ll know I’m making a song for his birthday!”

Sabo pursed his lips and didn’t mention that Ace had been making beautiful songs for Luffy’s birthday since they’d first met. “Well…” he said, drawing out the word as he tried to think, “want my help with it? I know I’m not Music, but maybe it would be easier if you had Words to help you instead of just humming the notes you want for your guitar?”

“But-” Ace said, staring at him with a shocked expression and wide eyes, and Sabo shifted uncomfortably, biting the inside of his lip, “you’ll get in huge trouble!”

“How come you’re the only one who gets to make a present for our brother?” Sabo demanded, to quell the butterflies that erupted in his stomach at the fear in Ace’s eyes. He knew that he wasn’t supposed to give any Words away but- if it was for Luffy, then he would gladly make the sacrifice, and take the punishment when he got home for having ‘wasted’ any. “Please?” he asked Ace quietly, and Ace paused in indecision, knowing how much trouble he was likely to get into, before giving him a hesitant smile and a jerky nod.

“Alright…But you can’t write them down. Then your parents won’t know you used any, right?”

Sabo almost considered laughing at the ingenuity of Ace’s plan, instead letting his grin grow on his face and giving a nod, “That’d probably work. Now tell me what you want the syllables and stanzas like so I can figure something out for you to sing.”    


	19. Sabo/Ace

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rating: G  
> Characters: Sabo/Ace  
> TW: Kissing / Character death  
> Notes: Blame Lolles. Literally this is all her fault.

There are forty-seven that span from his neck to his mid-bicep, most centered around his shoulders, and then there’s more than seventy-three from there to his knuckles. Sabo says ‘more than’ because he’s never managed to get past seventy before Ace will slowly blink awake with a yawn at the soft brush of Sab’s fingers counting his freckles.

He always smiles as he wakes, like Sabo is the best thing he will ever wake up to, and Sabo lets his fingertips trace out the constellations on Ace’s skin.  
“Again?” Ace asks, and his smile holds the hint of indulgence, freckles on his cheeks moving with his grin.

“One day I’ll count all of them,” Sabo swears, half as a joke but half serious too, and Ace closes his eyes and grins wider to show his amusement, still tired. Almost as though to place a block in the way of Sabo’s goal, he twines their hands together, interlacing their fingers and smirking mischievously. “Cheat,” Sabo remarks, feeling Ace’s thumb rub over his knuckles. “I am going to count them all, you’know.”

(In four year’s time he does; bar the ones that he can’t see through the veil of his tears, and the ones hidden under the hibiscuses that are placed reverently on Ace’s hands and around his forever still body.) 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: Sorry for the messy updates btw! I got snowed under at work and then just? Forgot? /sweats.
> 
> Take this quadruple update as my penance vuv (but please please please review! or I'm afraid I shall just go back to my simple once-a-day posting, even if I DO end up behind.)


	20. Franky/Robin

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rating: G  
> Characters: Franky/Robin  
> TW: Implications of abuse  
> Notes: A headcanon, not an actual fic. vuv It got like 200 notes on tumblr though so I thought I'd upload it here~

Robin the early riser who almost never sleeps, only one night Franky manages to convince her to go to bed and they don’t even _do_ anything it’s just cuddles and she feels so safe, and just passes out to sleep.

And when she wakes up in the morning she’s surprised at how late it’s gotten, and Franky is tinkering with something next to her, but gives her this _huge_ smile when she wakes up and Robin just feels herself giving him a little smile back, and he practically bounds out of bed and they go to breakfast.

And this keeps happening; on nights she can’t sleep she eventually just goes looking for him, because sometimes he’ll still be up working on something, and being cola powered means if he gets tired he can just switch out the bottles if he wants to finish whatever his new project is.

and then one morning she wakes up to something being pressed into her skin and she freaks out and is ready to fight and her eyes snap open and all she sees is Franky carefully writing something on her stomach, and she just goes “Franky?” and he jumps and looks really sheepish and he’s like “ah h you weren’t meant to wake up yet,” and she looks down to see that he’d gotten half-way through writing the second ‘super’ 

‘I love you! You’re super super!’ 

and it’s in sparkly blue pen in these _huge_ block letters and Robin starts to smile, and then grin, and then she starts to _laugh_ and Franky stares at her in shock before grinning and laughing himself, so so glad he’d made her happy. 


	21. Marco/Ace

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rating: T  
> Characters: Marco/Ace  
> TW: Kissing/Implications of NSFW  
> Notes: part 1 of 2

**Lygerastia** \- The condition of one who is only amorous when the lights are out.

* * *

Midnight. Ten minutes past, if Marco was going to be exact, which he often had to be. Ten minutes past, when the guards switched over their watch and spent a few minutes idly chatting to each other. He flicked off the lights, eyes slowly adjusting to the darkness, and then made his way to the window, unlatching it.

For a long few minutes he was afraid that Ace hadn't been able to make it. He had to swallow his disappointment, hands tightening in the gossamer curtains.

Then, clicks came from outside; the sharp snap of heels on tile, and he stepped back, his heart thrumming in his chest.

A figure cloaked in shadows slipped through the window, letting out a loose sigh of relief and offering a grin of white teeth, and Marco couldn't help but smile back.

"Thought you weren't going to make it," he whispered, stepping in close and knocking down Ace's hood to tangle his hands into Ace's hair. The world was quiet, night draping a blanket of silence around them, and his voice followed nature's pattern, keeping low. His words hovered on teasing, but even he could detect the obvious hint of worry.

"And miss out on you?" Ace replied quietly, leaning in close, nose brushing Marco's, "Never."

Marco closed his eyes with a quiet sigh, soaking in the warmth of proximity as he gently combed his hands through Ace's hair, and felt Ace's nose move when he smiled.

"I missed you."

"Bit hard getting in," Ace said unapologetically, "considering you're the prince and all."

"I could make them," Marco offered, and felt Ace's body move with his snort of laughter.

"Yeah, that'd go over well." He said, voice dry and snappy. "Oh hey dad, just wondering, could you let an assassin into the castle please? We're just gonna go cuddle in my room."

Marco hummed, his hands sliding down to the back of Ace's neck, fingertips light enough to make Ace shiver. "I'd hope to do more than cuddle, yoi."

Ace's grin returned and he tilted his head, warm breath on Marco's lips. "Gimmie a hint?" he asked mischievously, his own hands wandering up Marco's arms, and tracing down his throat.

"Well," Marco drawled slowly, before grabbing onto Ace's hand and spinning him out in a twirl. Ace gave a surprised laugh, the sound filling Marco's room, and Marco grinned; even with fear twisting in his chest. They had to be careful, had to be quiet, but god did he adore the sound of Ace's laughter. He pulled Ace back to him, hands falling to Ace's waist. "We'd definitely be close."

"Another hint?" Ace asked teasingly, tracing his teeth with his tongue and pretending to look thoughtful.

His fingers skimmed Ace's side, his fingers tugging on Ace's shirt before settling on Ace's warm skin, "This might be gone."

"Might be?" Ace said with a snort, "I'd hope so."

"Well, it's true that you definitely wouldn't want to swim with a shirt." Marco said innocently. "You'd have nothing to change into."

"That is so not what you meant," Ace said, hitting him gently in the chest, and Marco laughed. Dipping his head, he stole a quick kiss, one that Ace eagerly tried to return, hooking his arms around Marco's neck.

However, his kiss dissolved into a hiss, and Marco felt concern surge in his chest. "Ace?" he asked, as Ace doubled over and clutched at his side. Marco's hands fluttered over Ace's skin, squinting in the darkness. Frustration filled him, and he reached for the wall. "Let me get some light-"

Ace pulled away from him, dark eyes flashing. "It's fine," he said, teeth gritted, and tried to straighten, giving another hiss before he could push his shoulders back. He grabbed his hood, pulling it over his tussled hair, and Marco's expression morphed with worry.

"Ace, what are you doing?" Marco asked, grabbing onto his shoulder. "You're hurt!"

"Get off, Marco," he snapped, pulling his shoulder from Marco's grip, and Marco heard Ace heave a heavy breath of air. "Look," he said, eyes serious and glittering in the low light from the window, "you promised. No light - ever."

Marco shook his head slowly, his shoulders dropping. "So it doesn't matter to you that you've never seen me?"

"I've seen you," Ace said, his mouth pulled into a smile. "You're a prince, remember?"

"So how is it fair that I've never seen you?" Marco said, eyes narrowed, and watched Ace's smile vanish.

"You wouldn't want to." Ace mumbled. His lips moved almost soundlessly, his next words escaping Marco's hearing, before he sighed again. His fingertips grazed Marco's arm gently. "I can promise you, Marco, that if I didn't know you'd hate me-"

"I would never hate you," he interrupted, grabbing onto Ace's hand, and watched as Ace laughed deprecatingly. "I wouldn't."

Ace gently pulled his hand from Marco's grasp, laying a soft kiss against Marco's knuckles. "Sometimes I can believe you mean that." Ace whispered to his bent fingers, and Marco could feel every word pressed to his skin.

Words brimmed on Marco's tongue, but he couldn't figure out how to string them together, desperately trying to think of how to make Ace see how much he was adored.

"Marry me." He blurted, twisting his hand in Ace's so he could lace their fingers together. "Marry me, and I'll prove it to you, every day for the rest of our lives."


	22. Marco/Ace

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rating: G  
> Characters: Marco/Ace  
> TW: None (tho the headcanons at the bottom are implied NSFW)  
> Notes: Part 2 of Lygerastia

* * *

Ace stared, mouth dropping open soundlessly, and he couldn't help his heart from skipping a beat. He brutally told his stupid heart off, trying to quash the feeling, but sparks of elation still spread through his body and no matter what he told himself, he couldn't stop the frantic thump of his heart beat.

He swallowed, mouth closing and shook his head. "Marco, no." He said, cursing his voice for shaking. "Don't ask me that."

"Why?" Marco asked, tightening his grip on Ace's hand so Ace couldn't escape the same way he'd arrived. "If I spend the rest of my life with you by my side, then I'll be happy. I will give you the world, and if I can prove to you that I lo-"

"Don't!" he yelled, finally able to pull his hand from Marco's and stumbling away. His ribs twinged in protest, but he ignored the sensation, scrambling for the window. "Don't _say it._ I told you, you'll hate me-"

"How do you know, yoi?" Marco challenged.

"Because everyone does!" Ace shouted back, hands clenched around the window frame as he paused. "And I can't stand you-" he stopped with a jolt, words stuck like a rock in his throat, before he finally managed to hoarsely whisper, "I can't stand you doing it too."

A knock on the door interrupted Marco's next words, and they both froze. "Sire?" a voice asked, and then the door handle began to twist. Horror rushed through Ace like a chill. He tried to scramble the rest of the way from the window, but his cloak got tangled in his legs, and Marco grabbed his wrist, pulling him to a stop.

"No, _no-_ " Ace said, struggling frantically against Marco's grip, but Marco was to stubborn too let go.

"Please, Ace," he begged, loosening his fingers, and Ace knew he could escape now if he wanted to, but Marco's gaze held him pinned. "At least meet my family."

Ace regarded him for a moment, the door swinging open completely. "You're going to hate me," he said, and the lights were flicked on.

His eyes smarted at the sudden brightness, and he squeezed them shut before blinking them open again. Marco looked as befuddled, squinting, but as he recovered Ace drunk in the sight of him, knowing this would likely be the last time he'd ever get to see Marco.

Marco's eyelashes were almost as pale as his skin, and his lips were pinker than Ace usually saw in public. There was the lightest dusting of freckles across Marco's nose, spotted intermittently instead of haphazardly like Ace's own.

A yell of alarm interrupted his musings, and Marco's attention was drawn from the recovery of his sight as he tried to placate his servant. Ace was presented with the sight of his broad back, gauzy fabric showing off the shift of his muscles.

The last time he'd ever see them, ever touch Marco-

Ace squeezed his eyes shut again, this time fighting back his tight throat, and pushed back his hood, letting the cloak fall to the floor. The servant's panicked, fast-paced mutterings increased, and he pointed a shaky hand behind Marco, stuttering frantically.

Marco turned, a frown on his face, and Ace watched as his expression filled with disbelief and shock.

"You're- you're the-" he started, and Ace lifted his chin in stubborn pride, lips pressed tight.

"Now you know what I meant, Marco." He said, every word rolling from his mouth, and he couldn't stop them, no matter how much he tried. He presented his wrists, marked with tattoos in brilliant red and gold, and the servant looked about to faint. "Suppose this makes me a prisoner of war now."

"He's Roger's child!" the servant wailed, clutching to Marco's shoulder, and Ace had to hold back a flinch, lifting his chin even further. He'd hidden his identity for so long, first helped by his mother and then later by the pressing knowledge that if anyone in Marco's kingdom found out who he was, he'd be killed or captured to give to the Government as a bargaining chip.

 _He's Roger's child_ was such a common phrase that Ace knew he should have been used to it, but fear still curled in his stomach and he could see his hands shake slightly.

He'd first snuck to Marco to ask for his help, pretending to be an assassin at first to explain why he was there, but as time wore on - and Ace realised just how much the people of the world detested his blood line - he'd given up. By that point, however, he and Marco were firm friends, and he couldn't convince himself to leave. No matter how stupid he'd been, no matter that Ace would soon be used as a tool to bargain for the freedom of Marco's people, Ace couldn't find it in himself to regret ever becoming friends with Marco.

He'd never regret falling in love with Marco.

Marco lay his hand across the servant's shaking arm, expression inscrutable. "No." he said, and Ace could feel a frown of confusion start to pull on his features, pulling at his hard-fought expression of neutrality and disdain. "This is Ace."

And when Marco offered him a smile, the same smile that he always used to offer, full of adoration and affection and warmth, Ace felt his calm demeanor shatter.

The servant dropped to the floor in a dead faint.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Plus additional headcanons!!!
> 
> They then go traipse through the palace and marco introduces ace to all his brothers. Ace is still in a state of shock and probably ends up crying because oh my god this is not at all what he expected.  
> Whitebeard promises to protect Ace and while things are a little awkward between him and Marco, because, well, dynamics change! All of Marco's brothers end up liking him?
> 
> Izo sets him up with his own room and talks to Ace about it (implying that it is so Marco and Ace aren't sharing a bed) and Ace is like ? you realise ? we've already ? Marco buries his face in his hands and everyone else looks absolutely debauched.
> 
> Marco gets hit over the head a lot (ESPEC BY IZO) FOR NOT TELLING ANYONE
> 
> AND OH! THERE'S A LOT OF TEASING BC HOW COULD YOU NOT TELL US YOU HAD A BOOOOYYYFRIIIIEEENDDD MARCOOOO?


	23. Marco/Ace

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rating: G  
> Characters: Marco/Ace (Thatch & Izo)  
> TW: Innuendos :P  
> Notes: "Marco/Ace for the five times thing, something to do with Marco's piercings from that one ask the pineapple head post"
> 
>  
> 
> _5 conversations when Ace noticed Marco’s piercings and had questions (and the one time Marco didn’t answer)._

* * *

 

1

* * *

 

The first piercing Ace ever saw was the one on Marco’s ear. It glittered when Marco swooped down and landed next to him, and when Marco tilted his head to tut, Ace had to remind himself to pull his attention back to his sodden clothes.

He glared from the corner of his eye, wishing that the sea water was gone so he could shoot a fire ball at the damnable Whitebeard pirate. 

It didn’t work, sputtering weakly before dying, and his cheeks heated instead. He could only watch as Marco’s lips quirked, a barely hidden smile on Marco’s face.

“Give it up, brat.” Marco said, his wings morphing back to hands, and he perched on the balcony like the sea wasn’t lapping at the wood right behind him.

“Shut up,” Ace snapped back, and Marco shrugged. His mouth, however, stayed closed, and Ace’s shoulders hunched as he continued trying to dry himself off. He wasn’t going to talk to that stupid pirate, even if his head buzzed with questions. No  _way._   

* * *

2

* * *

 

Marco’s second was through his belly button. Both were blue, Ace noted, and though easy enough to notice if you knew they were there (or spent stupid amounts of time watching Marco), if you didn’t you could easily miss them. 

At one point during his assassination attempts, Marco had stopped him from reaching Whitebeard and, in his rage, Ace had tried to rip out his piercing. His hand had grazed the metal and Marco’s warm skin, the closest he’d ever gotten in his desperate attacks, but his flames died as soon as he touched it.

Marco kicked him over board, and Ace’s questions were lost as salt water invaded his throat. 

* * *

 

3.

* * *

 

“When’d you get your piercings?” Ace asked curiously, his tongue loose and his head floaty from the alcohol he’d had. He was probably slightly drunk, but oh well. He was allowed to celebrate his first successful mission as a Whitebeard pirate, and if his celebrations led to a conversation with Marco-

He was fine with that.

Marco shrugged, and Ace leaned in closer, squinting at Marco’s earring. “A while back.” Marco answered nonchalantly, his eyes flicking to Ace and then back to the plate in front of him. Ace grinned sheepishly, retracting his hand from Marco’s meal when Marco ached his eyebrow at him. 

“Tell ‘im where your third is!” Thatch called out with a laugh, and Ace watched Marco’s gaze narrow. Then his lips stretched into thin smirk, and he called back,

“Give him a clue!” Ace frowned, glancing between them, but Marco only smiled, slinging an arm around Ace’s shoulder. “Got a guess, yoi?” he asked, and  _holy shit did Marco’s eyes just flick down?_

Ace stared at him, trying to figure out if Marco’s downward gaze had meant anything, “Your-” he started tentatively, looking down, and Marco grinned even wider.

“Tongue?” Marco finished, poking out his tongue and displaying the glittering silver and Ace froze, feeling his cheeks flush hotly. “Why, what were you thinking?”

* * *

 

4.

* * *

 

“Hey Marco?” Ace asked, leaning against Marco’s desk and doing his best to be thoroughly distracting but failing utterly when Marco didn’t even look up (curse Marco’s iron self-control). “Could I get piercings?”

Marco paused, before he rested his pen against the paper and turned his attention upwards. “Do you want ‘em?” he asked, and Ace shrugged, distracted by the glitter of blue in Marco’s ear. 

“I’d steal yours, probably,” he said, grinning, and Marco heaved a rueful sigh, pushing against Ace’s forehead and making him laugh as he slipped off the desk.

“Ace?” Marco called as he headed to the door, and Ace obligingly turned back. “Izo has clip-ons, if you’d like them. Plus you’re a logia. You could probably just punch holes through whenever, yoi.”

Ace hummed thoughtfully, before flashing Marco another grin. “Thanks Marco!”

* * *

 

5.

* * *

 

Izo had made him start off with clip ons, just to see if Ace even liked the look of silver at his ears, but when he confessed to only really wanting to steal Marco’s, he’d laughed and relented. It took a little while for Ace to get the hang of shifting like he did with bullets but then coming back to a solid form while keeping the earring, but he eventually managed it, and his success made him grin.

Though he knew Marco wouldn’t have forgotten the question he’d asked a few weeks ago (Marco’s memory was just  _ridiculous,_ ) Ace still couldn’t help but try and arrange his hair over the red earring Izo had given him, teasingly saying, “Red and Blue look nice together.”

 Ace had stuck out his tongue before he went to go find Marco, and though it took a little while (and a yelp when he went on deck and his hair was flung everywhere,) he finally located Marco in the kitchen with Thatch.

He knocked on the kitchen door, and Marco inclined his head, giving him a grin. 

“What do you think?” Ace asked as he stepped closer, and could see the words _about what?_ brimming on both Thatch and Marco’s lips, before he moved shook his hair out of the way and showed off the earring Izo gave him.

Marco looked speechless for a moment, fixated on the gemstone, and Ace saw him swallow before he managed another grin. “We match. It’s nice, yoi.”

“Better keep an eye on your piercings,” Ace said, smirking widely before adding, “I’ll probably be… _stealing_ a few soon.”

“ _Bleh,_ ” Thatch complained, before Marco could reply, flinging his hands at the both of them, “Stop flirting in my kitchen! Your romantic cooties will infect my poor soup.”

* * *

 +1

* * *

 

Ace pulled Marco’s pillow to his chest, resting his head on it as he waited for Marco to get ready. Then, on Marco’s dresser he spotted a glittery blue, and grinned. 

Dumping Marco’s pillow back on his bed he hopped over to Marco’s earring, already reaching up to his ear to take out the small stud Izo had given him. However, as his fingers grazed Marco’s discarded earring, sharp pain erupted in his head and made him gasp. He clutched his ear with a swear, and dropped Marco’s earring. 

Izo’s stud dropped into his hand, along with droplets of blood that filled in the lines on his palm, and he frowned, trying to figure out what had happened. 

A cold suspicion filled his stomach, and he bent down, picking up Marco’s earring again. Now that he was looking for it, he could feel the familiar drain of seastone, and frowned even further. “The hell…?” he mumbled to himself, standing and turning to Marco, who was watching him with cautious, purposely blank eyes. “Marco, why- why are you wearing sea stone?” 

He watched Marco’s chest fill with air, a huge steadying breath, but he stayed silent. 

“Marco?” Ace asked again, “Why-?”

Marco cut him off with a raised hand. “Don’t- don’t ask me that, alright, Ace? I don’t want to have to lie to you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Personal headcanon & a minor explanation for number 5 and number 1. Ace can reform his body rlly rlly easy because logia and so he can just attach piercings whenever he wants. The problem lies in making them stay because his natural reaction is to shift them out. When I was writing this I was thinking about Marco's family and how they may have all had piercings or markings to show they were all part of the same family?
> 
> Only Marco is the only one left now, so Ace wearing a piercing was sooo weird for him because he remembers his family doing it and it's still ingrained in him that whoever does that is his family. Also, Marco's family lived on an island that had huge deposits of seastone and so their jewelry was mainly seastone. But Marco can't wear seastone/have it touch him anymore he still makes the gems/gets people to make the "gems" in his earrings seastone (bar his tongue piercing).
> 
> ALSO THEY MAKE TINY WEAPONS
> 
> (and remind him on the days he feels too old that he's still only human; he can die just as easily as the rest of them when he's bought down to their level. He's no god.)


	24. Zoro/Luffy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rating: G  
> Characters: Zoro/Luffy  
> TW: None  
> Notes: "Makino teaches Luffy to make flower crowns when he's little and Luffy makes one for Zoro (or something), can be ZoLu if you want? ;)"

Luffy has something that's almost like a routine when they get in sight of an island. He straightens on the Sunny's head, hands tapping against his legs, and then he'll jump off or swing himself around the mast, gleefully shouting for his crew to come see.

When they finally dock, he'll barely contain his excitement, (sometimes, he can't even do that and will tear off before they're even anchored,) and when they've divided for the day Luffy will grab his partner by the arm and drag them through town.

So when he doesn't immediately bounce of the ship, tearing through the streets and finding no end of trouble, Zoro just knows something's wrong.

Everyone gives each other glances as Luffy stops bouncing on the balls of his feet, his weight sinking to the deck, and even as they draw straws they can see that Luffy doesn't want to be there.

When they ask him if he'd like to stay on the ship, however, he gives them a sharp glance, and they watch him start to grin at them, as though he'd realised his smile had vanished and needed to set things back to rights.

Zoro's ninety percent sure Nami rigged their straws, because she gives him a pointed look as Luffy fastens his hand around Zoro's wrist and starts tugging him down the gangplank, almost determined to keep up his usually infallible energy.

For an hour, they walk through town, Zoro managing to only draw Luffy away from two meat vendors before caving at the third, and when Luffy's stomach is filled with meat his hesitation returns.

Zoro follows where his gaze has caught, staring at a flower vendors. "Did you want one?" he asks Luffy, and Luffy jumps, like he'd forgotten Zoro was next to him.

"Nah, nah! S'okay." Luffy says, grinning and flapping his hands, and then he scurries off with an ooo, Zoro, look at this!

Zoro looks back at the flower stall, noting that most of the flowers seem to be wide-petaled red ones with droopy leaves that Robin would likely know the name of but he would just call 'pretty'. He doesn't understand what has Luffy so distracted, but it's a mystery he can't solve right now. Not if he doesn't want to lose Luffy in the crowd.

He keeps to Luffy's footsteps as they transverse the market, and when evening finally draws nearer and Luffy slows, grabs more of the meat from the vendors and goes to find some place to eat. Sanji's given them baskets of food, of course, but that has been steadily vanishing throughout the day and Luffy'll need more than what is left to sate him.

His legs move easily as he shepherds Luffy up a small grassy knoll, pulling out food to encourage Luffy to follow, and finally he drops to the grass with a pleased sigh, falling back and leaning on his hands to take a breather. He likes hanging out with Luffy, but going all day without a nap - ehh he doesn't like that so much.

When he doesn't hear the thump of Luffy sitting down next to him, however, he cracks open his eyes.

The expression is back.

The weird one that's not sad, but isn't happy either. The one that make his forehead furrow and his lips close, tighter than they usually are when he so readily spreads his lips into a grin.

"Luffy," he says, and Luffy's attention snaps back to him, grin coming automatically to his face before Zoro clambers to his feet and presses his thumbs to the corners of Luffy's mouth. "Oy," he says, and Luffy's smile stops in its tracks. He tilts his head in a silent question, but Luffy merely sighs, his shoulders slipping.

He sits down, and when Zoro sits next to him, leans his head on Zoro's shoulder.

As the sun sets, the red flowers Zoro has seen all over this island start to close, bundling up for the night.

"Makino- Makino taught me how to make crowns from flowers when I was a kid," Luffy admits to the darkness as they stare at the little pinpoints of candlelight in the town. "I'd get Sabo and Ace to make them for me and crown me and sometimes they''d do it but- but the better times was when we just-" his words keep stuttering, but they don't stop, flooding from him like they're part of a waterfall and now the dam stopping them has been destroyed they'll just keep coming, "Ace's favourite flowers were these big red ones. And so Sabo and I found them one time, and made him a crown, but Ace didn't want it to be given to him. So we stuck it with Dadan and said it was a present and then tried to steal it off her and she beat us up. That was the best time."

Zoro can see his teeth in the darkness, bared wide in a smile again, and though he can't see Luffy's expression he knows it's bittersweet. He can tell that Luffy wants to keep speaking though, so in the darkness he finds Luffy's hand and presses their palms together, feeling the cold tips of Luffy's fingers. Luffy twists his hand experimentally, before he settles it, mapping Zoro's callouses slowly.

"It's not fair, Zoro." He mumbles to the night. "I- why does it-? Why does it still hurt? After all this time, I just- It doesn't hurt all the time but then-! Then there are stupid things like these flowers and it hurts even more!"

His breath hitches slightly in frustration, fingers tightening on Zoro's hand, and Zoro squeezes back, feeling Luffy's head twist to Zoro's collarbone. "It's not fair," he whispers, sniffing, and Zoro sighs, knowing there's absolutely nothing he can do to make Luffy feel better. He's had years to come to terms with Kuina, and sometimes he'll see a book he thinks she would have adored, or spots a girl with a flash of dark hair, and his heart tightens in his chest.

He's not in the habit of lying, especially not to his captain, and so he can't tell Luffy that it will go away eventually, because it never does. Instead, he breathes in warmth, and wraps his free arm around Luffy's shoulder, resting his chin on Luffy's head. "I know, captain. I know."


	25. Izo

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rating: G  
> Characters: Izo  
> TW: Some Violence  
> Notes: Based off of askizo.tumblr.com's headcanon about where Izo's tattoo is vuv

Izo had a certain amount of pride in his tattoo - it symbolised his family, his loyalty, his dreams. 

It didn’t, of course, excuse that fact that sometimes the dark colour clashed _horribly_ with his more pastel-themed outfits. It didn’t matter  _to_ much, obviously, considering how much he adored his tattoo, but sometimes dark colours just didn’t cut it and he would arrange his yakuta to cover it. 

Of course, it also meant that when he was alone and had it covered, he heard quite a few more people badmouthing Whitebeard. 

And  _that_ was something he wouldn’t stand for. Though his tattoo was covered for the night, his loyalty still burnt as bright as Ace’s fire, and he refused to sit and listen to someone try and ridicule pops.

He drained the last of his drink, snapping two coins down on the bar next to the empty glass, and then turned around. “I’d recommend you stop,” he said icily, and the gossipers slowly fell into a slow silence. 

“Who’s orderin’?” one of them finally slurred, and Izo felt a thin smile pull up his lips. 

“Friend of Whitebeard’s,” he said simply, sliding up his yakuta to expose a set of knives strapped just below his tattoo, and watched as the group started to snigger quietly.

“Oh what,” mr dumb taunted, his tone reminiscent of one someone would use with a child. “You gonna slash us?" 

His mocking tone made Izo’s eyes narrow, and he hitched the hem higher, allowing stupid to catch a glimpse of his tattoo. "And the rest of my family’ll help,” he agreed. The blood fled from the stranger’s face, leaving it a white pallor that made Izo grin, and the man swallowed, tripping over his own feet as he quickly got up and stumbled away. 

His eyes racked the bar, but no-one seemed ready to challenge him anymore, and he felt pride swell in his chest. He turned back to the bar to hide his grin, determined to make sure none of the idiots behind him saw his amusement.

God, did he love his family.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WHISPERSOBS OH GOSH BUT LIKE THIS HAPPENING LATER AFTER MARINEFORD....  
> #IZO HEARING PEOPLE BAD MOUTH WHITEBEARD AND TRYING TO DO SOMETHING AND THEY JUST LAUGH AT HIM  
> #HAHAHA //CLUTCHES CHEST AND SLOWLY LIES DOWN IN PAIN


	26. Marco/Ace

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rating: G  
> Characters: Marco/Ace  
> TW: None  
> Notes: Pour me Out by He is We. also whoops-i-forgot-to-update-again //sweats

_You got me holding on to a dream / that failed me long ago  
But I’m still waiting / I’m still holding on _

* * *

Marco’s done a lot of things in his lifetime. He’s had such a long lifetime, after all. Some of what he’s done he regrets, some of what he’s done he doesn’t, but with all his choices he looks back and thinks  _I chose right._

But when Ace’s execution is announced, all he can think is that he never should have chosen to stay behind.

(and as the years pass he can never let go of the hope that he’ll find Ace’s reincarnation, and though it hurts that choice isn’t one he’ll ever be able to make himself change, or regret holding on to.)


	27. Luffy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rating: G  
> Characters: Luffy  
> TW: None  
> Notes: Sleepsong by Bastille

 

_You go to sleep on your own / And you wake each day with your thoughts  
And it scares you being alone / it’s a last resort_

* * *

Luffy has this little  _thing._

This little  _thing_ about being alone. He just really- 

Well, hate’s not right, he knows that. But neither is ‘doesn’t like’ strong enough. 

It’s something like this;

He is lonely and lost and longing for anything and god it hurts, god it hurts, he grins wide and watches and wonders  _why?_ but there’s no answer. He talks better with Makino because she smiles and sets the rules and makes sure he knows when to get under her feet and when it isn’t good but somehow everyone else seems to know  _with_ everyone but he doesn’t get it and he’s stuck inside this stupid  _box_ of his own creation, of his own rubber skull, bouncing him around and back into his brain and he’s not fine with being alone. 

He wants to tell himself that he is.

He wants to say that he’s strong enough to survive by himself.

But- Shanks was strong. And he always talked like losing his crew, losing his people, being  _alone_ was something worse than death (and he knows it, Luffy knows it,  _knows it, knows it, knows it,_ he’d rather be dead than alone, and the time far in the future when both collide? He's so close to letting his heart burn out, it'll just so much easier, he'll see Ace again-)

So his little  _thing_ isn’t a weakness, but-

But god does it hurt like one. 


	28. Marco/Ace

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rating: T  
> Characters: Marco/Ace  
> TW: Swearing  
> Notes: Backseat Serenade by All Time Low

_You’re something like a summer’s day  
Kiss the pain away / to your radio_

* * *

It started out like this; start of summer, and thighs stuck to leather. Windows down, wind through hair, radio on loud enough to be heard over 100kmph.  _  
_

It started out with laughter and weather someone just called  _fuckin’ hot, mate,_ and when Ace pulled him into the sea, flip flops and all, he falls in (follows him, as he’ll always do).

It started in his light blue hatchback, hands languid as they rested against window frames, and when nothing but outback is nearby and they’re bored, Ace’s eyes stayed out the window, but his hand got caught up in Marco’s own. 

He doesn’t pull away.

It started in the summer, height of it; weather was in the forties and Ace was almost always out of a shirt. Marco’s considered shedding his propriety too, if only to escape the damned, sticky heat. They pulled up to the motel they’re meant to be meeting Thatch at, and Marco clunked the gear stick into park.

“We’ve arrived at boiler room central,” Ace muttered, twanging his letters in the lazy way he does when tired, but he still twisted his head and offered Marco a grin. “Comin’?”

It started in the front seats of the car. 

Him, nodding. 

Ace, leaning over, as though to tell a secret; Marco leaning close. 

Hot seatbelt over his neck, warm skin by his face, breath on his lips; then he’s breathless.

(It feels like falling into the sea during summer, ‘cause the water isn’t cold but god it feels good. God, it feels right.) 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this is one of the weirdest writing styles I have ever written in.


	29. Marco/Ace

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rating: G  
> Characters: Marco/Ace  
> TW: None  
> Notes: "Marco/Ace and person a gets their head stuck in a fence and person b is the firefighter/good samaritan who helps them get unstuck."

"Are you- okay?" a hesitant voice asked from behind him, and Marco screwed his lips up, glaring at Fee and Foe, who merely twittered at him innocently.

"Oh yes," he groused, "I love having my birds taunt me for getting stuck in a fence."

He heard a muffled snort of laughter, and felt his head drop even more, sighing heavily. Fruitlessly, he tried again to pull his head out of the gap he'd gotten stuck in when he'd dived to try and catch Fee and return him to the bird cage, but he'd wedged himself to tightly.

"Do you- want a hand?" he heard the stranger ask from behind him, and though he considered another sarcastic reply (oh, give him leeway; he'd been here for three hours already, and Fum had been perched on his head for at least an hour and a half,) he tamped back the urge.

"That'd be appreciated, yoi," he said, and heard the quiet thump of bags on the pavement, before the stranger's sneakers came into view.

"Brace yourself," they warned, and then firm hands wrapped around his shoulder and chest. With a grunt, the stranger pulled backwards, and Marco tried to wriggle himself out of the stupid fence.

He popped free, and they both fell backwards, Marco managing to land on his heroic stranger. Groaning, he held his head, before letting out a thankful breath. "Thank you so much," he said, turning and offering a hand to the stranger to help him to his feet, "I thought I'd never get out of there."

The stranger grinned, his freckles shifting, and shook his head as he stood, further disheveling wavy black locks. "All good," he said, still flashing that ridiculously bright grin, and Marco felt his stomach do a few barrel rolls and a backflip.

 _Oh no,_ he thought, trying to figure out a comprehensible reply and failing utterly, _he's cute._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Marco's birds are called Fee, Fie, Foe, and Fum. Fee is a little escape artist and an ass and Fum likes to sit on him. In my head they're like ?????? Budgies?????


	30. Sabo/Law

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rating: G  
> Characters: Sabo & Law  
> Notes: A FOB lyric prompt that can be shippy if you want it to.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy new year you guys!!! ;u; <3

_I swear I’d burn the city down/just to show you the light_

* * *

There are no lights in Trafalgar’s eyes. 

A reflected gleam, only, the echo of dying embers in his blood as he tries to fight, and Sabo can only watch as his brother runs off with Law in tow, knowing that if there was any light in the world, Law certainly would never be able to see it.

Not when his only goal is to swallow fire whole - playing with a forest fire, the forces of nature that make up Luffy and Doflamingo. The ocean meeting the sky, when they never should’ve, and Law is their casualty.

Sabo wonders if he should be afraid, when fire flickers between his fingertips, because Law has already shown that he needs no lights, and Sabo is the living embodiment of one (but then again, he’s the living embodiment of guilt, and maybe he’s more like a mirror to Law than he is the lights in Law’s eyes).

“I swear, I would-,” he says quietly, looking out at Dressrosa from the sunflower field where they have hidden to heal.

“I don’t doubt it.” Law replies, but that is all he says, eyes the barest flicker of reflection, and Sabo lets his palm flicker to fire, highlights the shadows that still rest beneath Law’s eyes.

“If you wanted me to-”

“This was never my city.” Law says, and this time it’s almost harsh, and his spine straightens, just barely, chin tilts to the sky, just barely. “And you may have burnt your own to ash but I stayed and watched.” He closes his eyes, and the glimmer of gold is gone. “I will not watch another city burn.”

Sabo lets his - Ace’s - fire vanish, and darkness envelops them again, swallowing them whole.

There are no lights in Trafalgar’s eyes.

Maybe there will be. Maybe Sabo will be there to see.

But, at the same time, Sabo can’t help but think,

_Maybe there doesn’t need to be._


	31. Sabo/Marco

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rating: T (Swearing)  
> Characters: Sabo & Marco  
> TW: Some swears vuv  
> Notes: An internet AU that I've talked about with Sabolus & Lolles before vuv

Marco’s computer beeped, the familiar call of Skype drawing his attention away from his paperwork, and though torn with hesitance, knowing that he had to get his work done, he couldn’t help but push his chair to his desk, bringing up Skype.

 _Sabo is online!_  it cheerfully announced, and Marco felt himself frown, checking Sabo’s timezone. It wasn’t even close to the time he was usually up - Sabo usually signed in around 3pm Marco’s time, and Ace, while earlier than them both, had been dragged on a camping trip by his mother and wouldn’t get back until later today.

[9:14:16 AM] Marco:  **hey**

[9:14:18 AM] Marco:  **what’re you doing up?**

Sabo’s cursor didn’t load, and for a moment Marco dismissed it as Skype playing up again. It had often bought up his hopes, tricking him into thinking that Ace or Sabo were online, and he regarded the green tick with a hint of suspicion now.

[9:17:13 AM] Sabo:  **Can we call?**

Without even answering, Marco clicked on Skype’s phone button, scrounging for his headphones at the same time. It dialed quietly, ringing off as Marco slipped his headphones on, but then Sabo’s blurry picture came to life on his screen.

“Hey,” Sabo whispered, managing a weak smile, and Marco felt his brow knit in concern.

“You okay?” he asked, and watched Sabo’s picture nod jaggedly, lag making his image pixelated. Sabo shifted in his chair, knees drawing from beneath his desk, and pursed his lips, looking like he was fighting words. Marco kept silent, watching as Sabo curled up and laced his hands around his leg, leaning closer.

“Can you-,” he asked, eyes flicking from the keyboard to the camera, “can you tell me a story?” Marco frowned even more, confused by Sabo’s request, and Sabo’s face crumpled. “Shit, no-” he stammered, rubbing at his face roughly and setting his hands back on the keys.  “I’m sorry, this was just stupid, god I’ll just-”

“No, Sabo wait!” Marco called, grip tight on his desk. “What do you want a story about, yoi?” Sabo shrugged, biting his lip and resettling in his chair, all twisted up but this time still, and Marco tilted his head back, humming thoughtfully. “Well, this week we had a bunch of storms here,” he finally started, “And the radio weather reporter said that there was no chance of a larger storm coming in, and that the wind wasn’t strong enough to damage any property, right?”

He could feel a grin start on his lips, remembering what had happened, but Sabo’s gaze was still dull and it died fast enough. “Well, anyway, there was some property damage. One car, to be exact. And guess who’s car it was.”

Sabo let out a quiet snort, lips twitching and Marco nodded. “Yeah. The news reporter’s. Everyone thought it was fucking hilari-”

Sabo let out another quiet noise, but there was no smile on his face this time; his features crumpled like paper, even as he tried to force his lips into a grin, and Marco’s mouth opened in a breathless exclamation of worry.

“I’m fine, I’m fine-” Sabo said, trying to cover his face, but his breath kept hitching and Marco could see his shoulders shaking.

“Fuck, Sabo- what’s wrong? Please?”

Sabo shook his head wordlessly, and Marco bit his lip, wishing desperately that he could be where Sabo was and pull him into a hug. It wasn’t fair that though they could talk they were separated by oceans - by a whole world.

“Sabo?” he tried again, softly, and Sabo flinched, trying to rub at his face and muster a smile. Marco could see tear tracks in the light of Sabo’s desk lamp.

“Just-” he started hoarsely, sniffing, “just a really bad day, Marco. I’m sorry. It’s nothing.”

“It’s not nothing if it made you upset,” Marco said. “Please don’t apologise. You know that I’d rather know if you were upset than if you tried to  hide it from me.”

Sabo’s features softened, tired eyes crinkling at the edges as he smiled. “I’m fine, Marco. Promise. Mom was just being-” he paused, stuck for words, and ran a hand through his hair before sighing, “awful.”

“Isn’t she always?” Marco replied, and watched Sabo’s smile widen.

“Oh yeah,” he said, grinning ruefully. “How could I forget?”

Sabo’s floppy hair hung in front of his eyes, and even though the quality was shit, Marco could still see the red flush to his cheeks. Sabo’s sniffles didn’t help anything, either, and once again Marco wished, desperately, that he lived closer. 

That he could brush Sabo’s hair from his face and force a tissue into his hand. That he could get into his car and drive to Sabo’s house and protect him every time his parents tried to treat him like shit. That he lived closer, so he could throw rocks at Sabo’s window and recite awful poetry until he saw Sabo smile.

Skype had long since stopped being ‘enough’, but to get to either Sabo or Ace he’d have to get on a plane and fly over the ocean, and no matter how hard he worked, that still seemed like a distant dream. That thought - that he'd never get to see them, be close to them - well, that sometimes was almost enough to make him regret ever befriending them.

The knowledge that even though they were so close, they were so, so far away.


	32. Marco & Ace

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rating: T  
> Characters: Ace & Marco, predominantly. Also, some mentions of Izo & Thatch & Whitebeard  
> TW: Violence  
> Notes: Based off of one of lolles' absolutely a m a z i n g aus ;u; (seriously, u should ask her about this one. It’s fantastic.) This is a two part btw but you can read them separately!!

 [Like Real People Do](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yrleydRwWms) _-_ **Hozier**

_I will not ask you where you came from / I will not ask and neither should you  
Honey just put your sweet lips on my lips / We should just kiss like real people do _

* * *

Everyone had always been curious about how Marco had been made. He means ‘Made’ in the very literal, magical, sense, because no other man in this world had a body of regenerating stone. 

Then again, no other man in this world had been Made by the Gods, either. 

Of course, that had always been his secret - and ‘everyone’ was, if Marco had anything to say about it, going to  _stay_ curious. The only person who knew was Whitebeard, and to Whitebeard Marco owed his life and his freedoms.  

When one was a being made of magic, it was only to be expected that their magic was going to be harnessed, and Marco was no exception. He’d spent thousands of years trapped, bound to serve whichever cutthroat master currently had him in their possession before Whitebeard had found him and decided to release him. 

Uncertain about how to use his new found freedom, Marco had travelled with Whitebeard for many years, and by the time he realised that he’d become part of Whitebeard’s family, it was already much to late. He’d become their caravan’s ‘big brother’, and there really wasn’t much he could do about it.

After centuries of isolation, fear, and hatred, Marco had found a family. 

He still wasn’t always certain about what to do with them, but with power at his fingertips and a heart literally built to love, Marco swore to protect every member of Oyaji’s caravan. 

And then Ace had come along. 

He refused - much like Marco did - to ever tell them about where he’d come from, and traveled with them for what he argued was only going to be a short time.

Well, his ‘short time’ had stretched from one week to four, and then from four weeks to six months. By the time Ace realised he’d been adopted, it was already much to late for him, much like it had been for Marco.

He had reservations they never had been able to uncover, but Ace slowly fell for their caravan, and his paranoid demeanour relaxed bit by bit, letting the Whitebeard traders see past his defensive nature. 

But Marco, knowing the pressure of consistent questions, never asked. He suspected, of course, because he knew the play of magic in someone’s blood and the twist of a lie in someone’s mouth, but Marco had long ago learnt to hold his tongue and let people hold onto their secrets. 

It was easier on both of them, and whenever Ace tired of being pestered, he would seek out Marco and the slow lilt of their conversation by the fireplace could soon often be heard at night. 

Marco had his own reservations about Ace, because any fool could see that Ace was running and hiding from someone - something - but as the months went past, his hesitation, his internal mantra of  _I will do anything to protect my family_ slowly began to include Ace as ‘family’. 

The last shred of Ace’s fear had finally fallen away when Whitebeard and Marco discovered that Ace - rather than being the weak fire mage they’d thought him to be - was actually a powerful blood mage. 

[That had been the day they were attacked by magic Hunters. ](http://authenticaussie.tumblr.com/post/135157492800/from-this-au-of-lollesss-commissions-are-open)No matter what spells he and Izo threw at them, they countered with ease, tearing through both the 1st and 16th caravan’s defensive forces like butter. He’d felt his stone skin reform more times then it ever should have in such a short amount of time, and even though made of magic he was starting to tire, knowing that leech spells had been prepped in the valley they were cornered in. 

With Thatch downed, arm broken, and Izo on the very last dregs of energy, Marco did the only thing he could think of. He found Ace, the very last person still standing on their battlefield, closed his eyes, and  _threw_ his magic.

One of the very first things Marco had learnt about himself when he’d been placed on the planet was that with every part of himself filled with magic, he worked even better than a seeing glass for physics, a channeling stone for magicians, and magical artifacts for potion makers. Marco was a literal magical magnifying glass, and in dire situations like this-

Well, amping the magic of one of their weakest members would certainly come as a shock to the Hunters. 

What came next was as shocking to Marco as it was to the Hunters. He could _feel_ Ace’s power, something he’d never been able to do with weak mages. His own magic usually overpowered theirs, and it made sensing sneak attacks by weak mages so much harder.

But Ace? 

Ace practically  _sung_ with magic. His blood crawled with it, and Marco was barely allowed a second of frantic confusion  _where does he get that from? why isn’t his fire magic more powerful?_ before Ace snapped his hand out and everyone in front of him suddenly convulsed

Even the people from their own caravan _._

_Oh Gods-_

_What have I done?_

Marco had seen people lost in the throes of magic before, and Ace was no different. His eyes were glassy and his body moved on instinct, magic curling like a living thing, drawing Ace’s life with it as he fought. Marco could  _see_ Ace’s power draining from him with every step he took forwards, and couldn’t help the sick taste that filled his mouth.  

He’d done this to Ace. He’d given Ace’s magic a boost it had never needed, couldn’t take his ability back now that Ace’s magic had raged out of control, and now Ace was going to die-

_No._

Marco moved forwards, panic lending strength to his exhausted body, and latched onto Ace’s arm. Ace almost immediately reacted, blood slamming into Marco’s arm, and he  _felt_ it. Marco almost shuddered, knowing that for him to have felt it meant that either the blow was strong enough to almost shatter his stone skin, or Ace was powerful enough to almost crack him.  

“ _Ace,_ ” he said, wrapping his hands around Ace’s arms in an attempt to get him to stop moving, and Marco could hear the sounds of screams filling the air. “Are you alright? Please, you’ve got to stop, yoi.  _Ace-_ ”

He knew his words were running together, but there was little he could do but beg and pray.

And the answer came to him, almost like a whisper from Those that had Made him.  

_If you can give, why can you not take away?_

And so Marco closed his eyes, prayed, and tried to steal Ace’s magic. it writhed from him, refusing to go now that it had found the light, almost excited to be finally used, and Marco found he couldn’t siphon any of it away. He tried again, pushing for a change, but it shied away, running from Marco’s body-

The spark of an idea came to him, and Marco enfolded Ace in his arms, using his mind to cast a net, binding Ace’s magic to Ace’s body and slowly drawing back the energy that sparked and curled away from him, trying to reach the light.

But Marco was everywhere, casting darkness, blotting out the bodies of any nearby, bar his own. And Marco had no blood; only stone skin and a magic heart.

He could feel the moment Ace snapped back into control, his body falling limp in Marco’s arms, and quickly prevent Ace from hitting his head on Marco’s collarbone. Ace’d likely have a killer headache in the morning anyway - Marco would rather not add to it but letting Ace crack his head open on Marco’s body. 

He could hear Ace give a soft, pained groan, and carefully picked up Ace, cradling his burning body close. 

Thatch was the closest, and Izo had already started to use their advantage, recovering from his shock and flinging spells and poitions. His quick thinking let Marco take Ace to Thatch for medical care. Thatch’d likely be one of those treated first, with his broken arm and his extraordinary healing, and if Ace woke up Marco wanted a familiar, friendly face to be nearby. 

It took barely a few seconds, and Marco by that point could feel his body burn with Ace’s stolen magic, the power he’d magnified begging to be let out. With a deep breath, Marco stepped forwards and extended his palm, mimicking what Ace had done. 

He’d never used blood magic before, but Marco was nothing if not a fast learner, and Ace’s magic was impatient to be used. It practically jumped from his open palm, surging forwards to where Marco directed, and in less than a minute Marco could see their enemies begin to drop. Whether dead or not, he didn’t care. 

They should’ve known not to go after the Whitebeards.

By the time he’d turned around, Izo had started organizing those who could walk into a mobile medical unit, getting the worst injured immediate medical care, and turning several of their caravans into small hospitals so they could continue to travel and hopefully get some more medical assistance in the next town.  

He could feel his legs shake, the last dregs of magic echoing in his chest, and knew that soon he’d need to rest. But ‘soon’ could be put off, for the moment.

Marco forced his feet onwards, taking one slow step after another until he finally managed to get to Izo, and then let himself be bossed around, working tirelessly in his efforts to help.

His family needed him.

* * *

After that incident, Marco had asked Ace about his magic and Ace had confessed everything, letting words spill from him like a river in his attempt to defend himself. He hadn’t needed to, because if Marco knew anything from his years trapped like a djinn it was that magic was always dependent on the wielder, but Ace had panicked and Marco had been unable to stop him. 

It had left a good portion of Whitebeard’s caravan itching to hunt down whomever had hurt Ace and forced him to become a blood mage, but no-one had been able to let on to Ace their plans, just in case he took it the wrong way. Almost everyone had gone around assuring Ace that it was alright, until Ace was sick of it and had started hiding out in Marco’s caravan. Marco had eventually told them all to stop, but his family still persisted in coddling Ace for another few weeks.

Ace threatened to set them all on fire if they didn’t go back to normal. 

Though he still rarely used his blood magic, he seemed more relaxed, and Marco was pleased to see that when he needed it, Ace let his magic flicker to life with no hesitation - whether it was fire magic, or blood magic.   

And Marco found himself completely distracted. 

Now that Ace had stopped blocking his magic, Marco could  _sense_ him, like an itch at his senses. A constant, reassuring pressure, like Ace’s life was a fire that’d just flickered to life next to his chest and refused to leave.  

Marco had long since gotten used to not being able to feel things. Unless they were extraordinarily strong, most people couldn’t break his skin, and unless their magic was powerful he could rarely feel someone’s touch. Izo and Whitebeard were one of the few people who he could feel, and even then sometimes - if Marco had been working spells all day - it didn’t work.

But with Ace-

Ace’s magic was as much a part of  _Ace_ as his freckles, his smile, his skin; now that Marco knew it was there, he could feel it.

And the first time Ace touched him-

Marco almost felt as though he had real skin. It prickled and tickled and raced up his arm in a way that made him shiver, and he couldn’t help but stare at Ace. 

Ace only glanced at him curiously, brow furrowing. “Marco? Are you-”

Marco shook his head briefly, snapping out of his sudden shock, and nodded. “Y- yes, sorry yoi. What were you saying?”

“I was just wondering what the travel plans for the second division were? I heard that they were going past Bartilia and I-” he paused, shifting, and Marco carefully laid a hand on Ace’s shoulder, trying in vain to convince himself it wasn’t to have that jolt of sensation race through him again.  

“Yes, they are. Would you like to go with them?” Ace nodded excitedly, his lips stretching into a grin, and Marco couldn’t help but mimic it, his stomach churning. “I’m sure that can be arranged.” He said, and Ace’s whole expression softened.

“Thanks Marco,” Ace said, gratitude colouring his tone. “You’re the best.”

And then Ace rocked onto his toes and placed a kiss on Marco’s cheek, and Marco’s reply died in his mouth. He could  _feel_ Ace’s lips, warm on his cheek and sparking with magic, and it sent a surge of elation running through him like electricity.

Then, Ace had slipped from Marco’s caravan, and Marco was left with his fingers hovering above his cheek,  _feeling_ the ghost of Ace’s lips on his skin. 

They were  _definitely_  going to have a few things to talk about when Ace came back from Baterilla…

And Marco was definitely going to have some plans in place to see if he might be able to get a proper kiss.   

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Marco, by the way, is a golem. :P Hopefully it was explained clearly enough but like wow are there a lot of in universe rules that I didn't even get to explain in this fic, pfft.


	33. Marco & Ace

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rating: T  
> Characters: Ace & Marco  
> TW: some violence  
> Notes: Continuation/paired with the previous drabble.

Sweat beaded in his hair, dripping down his temples and into his eyes, and Ace panted, trying desperately to catch his breath. He could see Thatch’s body in front of him, arm bent at an awkward angle even as he attempted to stand, and Marco wavered nearby, his blue stone body decorated in chips and cracks. 

Part of his bicep had been completely torn off, scratched to pieces in an attack, but Ace could see it slowly regrowing. Exhaustion was clear on Marco’s face however, and Ace staggered to his feet. Stone shifted beneath his shoes, echoing down the valley, and Marco cast a quick glance back at him.

Magic hunters had cornered their caravan on the way to Shells town, somehow knowing that both Marco, their resident possibly-made-by-a-god golem and Izo, one of their more exceptionally powerful potion makers, had been travelling to trade.

Though paranoia still sung a dreadful song in his head, Ace knew they couldn’t have been after him. He was to careful with his magic, and had so far avoided any promotions in the Whitebeard caravan that would lead to to much attention. 

He was powerful, certainly, but his power was majorly due to his physical enhancement spells, and the fact that his magic leaked over into his healing when he didn’t use it. So far no-one had noticed and commented on his fast healing, but then again - they all thought that Ace’s only magic was a fairly weak set of fire spells that, while effective if used right, most ten year old children could do.      

He bought sparks to his hands with the snap of his fingers, tamping down the instinctive urge to lash out with his chosen magic rather than spells, and flung out a set of tiny fireflies that burst to explosive life when Ace snapped his fingers again.

Their enemy, however, was obviously prepared. In less than a minute, Ace’s sparks had been destroyed, and a cutting breath of air smashed Ace in the chest, sending him sprawling backwards. He heard a cacophony of voices calling his name in worry, and tried to wheeze in a breath; however, the wind had done more than knock him back. He couldn’t breathe, frantically inhaling and feeling air rush in and out without staying in his lungs.

Frantically, his fingers scrambled at his chest, and in one last surge of desperation he closed his eyes and dug his nails into his chest. The physical enhancement spells he used kicked in, and his nails punctured his skin, drawing blood to the surface, and as it touched his fingertips his magic sparked to life again, greedy and wild.

The low edge of disgust twisted in his chest, the long years of resentment and anger that he’d tried so hard to quell, but relief overcame it as he finally managed to get in a harsh gasp of fresh air. The black dots over his vision faded slowly as he gasped. He staggered to his feet again, hand pressed over his self-inflicted wound to hide the blood from his family as it healed, and tried again to summon his fire. 

It took more effort than he wanted, blood magic still twisting between his palms and begging to be set free, and he struggled for a moment with his warring instincts - to lash out and protect his family, spread fear and destruction with an easy wave of his hand, but then have to live with the consequences after.  

His eyes sought Marco, trying to find the one calming constant in their battlefield and knowing that even if he fell, Marco would still protect them all, but it took to long to focus. He only caught sight of Marco’s hand, raised towards him.  

Sudden power surged in his head, heady and wild, and his control faltered; his sparks died, and the blood collected at his chest refused to slow, dripping beneath his palm and over his fingers. It squirmed from his chest, defying gravity and curling around his hand like a bloody glove. His head, already light from his previous lack of oxygen, swam with a feeling akin to intoxication, and he pulled his hand from his chest. His blood fell to sizzle against the rocks, and with hard eyed determination, his body ruled by his magic, Ace flung his hand out, palm flicking up.

Their bodies pushed by an invisible force, the Magic hunters flew backwards, many releasing cries of agony. The more powerful magicians merely doubled over, choked screams escaping them. Ace took a step forwards, and bodies twisted before him, their very blood fighting to escape from beneath their skin. It was Ace’s easiest spell, to summon blood from a body not his own, but it caused sheer agony to any he inflicted it on.

With such power running through him, it was easy enough to spread the spell over those before him, and his magic dampened the world, cutting off the cries and screams that echoed in the air.

Stone cold fingers wrapped around his wrist.

Ace jolted, his hand whipping out and blood automatically sharpening to a point, but it shattered against Marco’s skin, and his palm only met more stone. He could see Marco’s lips moving, calmly but quickly, the chips of sapphire he had as eyes clouded in worry, and Ace tried to figure out what he was saying - he really tried. 

It was only a few words, over and over, worriedly-

 _Ace._  
Are you okay?  
Ace.  
Ace.  
Please. Are you okay?    
Ace.  
Ace.  
Ace!

The power that surged through him suddenly vanished, bone-deep tiredness invading his soul, and Ace slumped in Marco’s hold with a groan. Sound dribbled back into his ears, indistinct words echoing, but his head pounded at every sound. He almost cracked his head on the crook of Marco’s neck as his neck lolled, but thankfully Marco managed to catch him, cold palm pressed to Ace’s heated forehead. 

Marco’s chest rumbled with more words, and then suddenly the ground was gone from beneath Ace’s feet. He almost fought it, and would have if he hadn’t felt Marco’s chest pressed to his arm (and no-one else felt like Marco did; no-one else in the whole world). 

Thatch’s fingers were soon pressed to his wrist, and Ace slipped from Marco’s hold. He would have complained at the sudden heat, had he not been consumed in a sudden roaring that filled his head.

Then, silence.

Ace took the blissful quiet as his chance to let his eyes slide closed, and leaned against Thatch’s arm, body collapsing and mind falling into nothing. 


	34. Sabo/Ace

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 15 - Kiss in the Rain

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Rating: G  
> Characters: Sabo/Ace  
> TW: Kissing  
> Notes: Makin my way through requests...slowly...

Ace had been watching Sabo's face slowly light up as the rain drew closer, painting the sky a deep violet. Lightning crept across the horizon, slowly growing larger and louder as it came closer to them, and Ace snuck another glance at Sabo, watching as his leg bounced uncontrollably.

The first few patters were quiet on the rooftop, and a cool breeze blew in through the open windows. Ace could immediately see Sabo relax, breathing in the smell of rain on the wind.

He could almost imagine the mental hiss of yesssss that was going through Sabo's head, and as rain began to fall in thick sheets of water, Ace watched him inch off his chair, gravitating to the front door.

Finally, he seemed to be able to take it no longer and unlocked the door, struggling to be free of his coat.

Ace had to bite back a knowing smile. "Where are you going?" he asked, "It's raining!"

Sabo grinned back at him in complete elation.

"Exactly!"

In two long strides he'd stepped into the rain, and Ace saw in him tilt his face to the sky and breathe as though he'd been suffocating, lower lip shaking. Droplets sparkled in his hair and on his skin as the automatic lights came on, but the torrential downpour soon washed away any individual mark, instead leaving his skin shining gold.

Ace couldn't help but wonder if he was the one that needed a deeper breath of air, with how tight his chest felt.

He followed after Sabo's slow steps, watching him speed up, faster and faster until suddenly he was running headlong, bare feet splashing into the puddles and kicking up the water, and Ace could hear his laughter float down the street, borne just like the rain on the wind.

Ace stood in the middle of the road, grinning at Sabo's back, and watched as he slowed down and finally came to a stop, palms towards the sky and arms open as though to embrace the clouds. Ace could see his chest heaving, shoulders jumping with each hard-won breath, and then Sabo turned around and ran back.

Miniature rivers ran along the side of the road, falling down the drains, and his feet kicked up a spray of silver. Ace jogged forwards, finding himself with an arm full of wet clothing and a shivering body a few seconds later.

Sabo's grin stretched from ear to ear, blue eyes dancing in happiness, and Ace laughed at the sight, slinging his arm around Sabo's shoulder and leaning in close as they made their way up the rest of the street, walking in the drains.

And, in a moment of impulsiveness, he pressed a kiss to water-drenched locks.

Before Sabo could notice, Ace rubbed the rest of his face into Sabo's hair, making him laugh and swat at Ace's stomach. It made Sabo chide him loudly, voice echoing with happiness, and Ace turned to the sky, pretending to be miffed even as his heart hammered and his face burned.

His whole chest felt like it was going to burst as Sabo wrapped his arm around Ace's waist and they meandered back home, rain coating their eyelashes and making the world blurry.

Even if he'd stolen a kiss just then, this memory was one he was most certainly going to save, cold water and a warm body pushing the imprint of it into his head.

(and besides, how was he to know that Sabo, when he tucked his head into Ace's chest, had stolen one too?)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please R&R~
> 
> I've started design a blog on tumblr called sunshinepunks where I'm going to be posting House of Cards and other M/A/S related stuff \;u;/
> 
> I'm still coding for it right now, but feel free to check it out~ ^w^


	35. Luffy & Ace

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> body/mind swap AU

 

Sometime, a long time ago, Luffy and Ace and Sabo had run into an old woman with knobbly fingers and arms that looked as wizened as the stick she used as a cane. One eye was sown shut, and she never said much, but she had lots of shiny things that Luffy had wanted, and when there were spare bits of crocodile to be had, Ace could get a good deal out of what she had to give away.

She disappeared before the Celestial Dragon arrived, her singular blue eye widening in fear long before the announcements ever came that a World Noble was visiting, but before she left she offered to always let them know where the others were. She knew about their dreams to sail, and that they wanted to go their own way, plus Luffy got lost easy and sometimes it was hard to find him, so Ace and Sabo had figured it was a good idea.

She'd told them that if they ever wanted to figure out where the others were, they only needed to open one eye.

Of course, none of them knew what she meant, because – in Ace's words – how the hell were they meant to open _one_ eye when both eyes were already open?

And then Luffy had almost stabbed himself accidentally one day and he'd screwed his left eye shut to prevent it from watering, and he'd realised that instead of looking through his own eye, he could see himself through _Ace's_ eyes. Both he and Ace had let loose loud yells of fear at the same time, and Luffy ended up falling over and hitting his head, and in the confusion they almost forgot.

Sabo asked what'd freaked them out so much and Luffy and Ace told him what happened. He was the one who'd pieced it together, squinting at Luffy and switching which of his eyes was open at a time, but they'd eventually realised that they could see through each other's eyes.

Or, rather, eye.

It took a little while to get used to, and Ace found that he had to completely drop winks from the soundless language they'd developed for Luffy, but after a while it became second nature to switch vision and figure out where anyone else was. It was annoying if someone was fighting, but thankfully that only seemed to happen rarely.

Then Sabo's father showed up. Everything moved so fast, and Ace refused to use Sabo's eye (his was left, always left, just like he'd _left them-_ ) and then suddenly Luffy was gasping out a _no!_ of horror and Ace realised that Luffy's right eye was screwed shut.

Then Dogra was running into the house, shouting about Sabo's ship being blown to pieces, and Ace felt his heart stop, and he screwed his right eye shut with a prayer and a heart twisted into knots but-

There was nothing.

When they were kids, Ace never pushed when Luffy would latch onto his hand, and Luffy never questioned it when Ace pulled him close and pressed a hard kiss to his forehead, like he needed to assure himself that Luffy was still warm, instead of a water-bloated body.

Sometimes, he still forgets that there's nothing.

Twenty years on, and still sometimes he tries to check, pulls his right eyelid down with gentle fingers and tries to see through his left (Sabo's left), but there's always only ever darkness. He knows that Luffy does it too; or, he used to, but if Ace knows anything it's his brother, so he figures Luffy still squints at the sky and tries to see what Sabo sees.

There's only ever darkness.

(A million miles away and two years on, their brother remembers and regrets every time he let the sight of the sea or the forest leave him, regrets never chasing after the memories, regrets never questioning the sights that, if he'd followed, would've led him to the two people he used to call _home_.)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: turned into more luffy & ace & sabo than it did Luffy and Ace but AHHH I JUST REALLY WANT TO GET ALL MY REALLY OLD REQS DONE.
> 
> It's my birthday on Saturday so I'm planning on having my inbox open and reblogging a bunch of ask memes so please feel free to jump by my tumblr if you want something ;u;


	36. MarcoAceSabo

"Isn't this great? It's just like when we were younger!" Sabo's face lit up as he surveyed the pool, faint blue highlighting his features and making his eyes shine. Ace smiled at the sight, taking a step closer and sliding his arm around Sabo's waist.

"Yeah, but when we were younger, I couldn't do-" Ace's grin turned wicked, and then he grabbed Sabo's shoulders and shoved him to the side, straight into the pool, " _this_!"

Sabo yelped, slipping to the side, however he managed to grab onto Ace's arm and with a loud cry and a splash, both of them ended up tumbling straight into the pool. Sabo came up spluttering, and Ace couldn't help but laugh; until Sabo splashed him in the face and he ended up spitting out water.

"Asshat," Sabo grumbled, flicking his hair from his face, and Ace grinned, paddling closer.

"You love me."

"That's arguable."

Ace pouted, and Sabo sighed, swimming to the side of the pool so that he didn't have to keep treading water. Ace ducked beneath the surface, moving in long smooth strokes to the centre of the pool and then floating to the top, taking in a large gulp of air.

" _Oy,_ " he heard a familiar voice call in irritation as he broke the surface and cleared his ears of water, and he gave a sheepish grin in Marco's direction. Marco was watching them, face drawn into a pinched frown. "You know you're not meant to be swimming here at this time of night."

"In my defence Ace pulled me into the pool," Sabo said, heaving himself out in a great sluice of water, and Marco shook his head.

"C'mon you idiots," he said, and Ace swum over to the side, leaning against the edge of the pool.

"It's nicer in here than it is out there."

"Well it was perfectly decent until you decided to drag me in for a midnight swim," Sabo shot back, hugging his shoulders, but Ace could see his grin; and Marco was already moving and placing his jacket around Sabo's shoulders so Ace didn't see why he was complaining anyway.

"If you give me your shirt to comfort myself against the bitter cold I may find myself persuaded." Ace said, eyebrows raised at Marco, but Marco rolled his eyes and Ace couldn't help but pout.

"How about you get out, I don't tell Coach you were in here, and I'll give you a blanket and a spare shirt when we get home."

"Ehh, good enough."

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> they're idiots and I love them please help me /cries


	37. ZoLu

**Duende - The unusual power to attract or charm**

* * *

There's an easy way to separate Zoro's life - before Luffy, and after Luffy.

He isn't sure when Before became After, though.

He'd like to say he isn't sure when he realised Luffy had turned from the person who'd be a stepping stone to his dream to the catalyst, to the wind in his sails and the ship beneath his feet that guides them all forwards, but that's a lie, and he knows it, he knows exactly when he realised that everything had changed.

See, they started out with a promise, he started out with a vow on his lips; _don't get in my way, kaizoku._

He sticks by it, holds it close to his chest like there's steel tying it to his heart, he will _cut Luffy down_ if Luffy gets in the way of his dream.

Then he loses, and somehow the promise starts to change, even though he doesn't realise. He doesn't figure out that _I will not lose!_ has the word _you_ on the end until long after the fact, he's still trying to tell himself he doesn't _care_ about Luffy, not really, he's used to being left behind, or being shoved to the front lines, and those things he can deal with but he won't give up his dream, not for any man, no matter how much they seem more like a star, more like part of the universe, than a man-

He always tells himself he won't give up his dream. That he'll cut Luffy down if Luffy gets in his way, only-

Only then Thriller Bark happens. Only then, before he's even realized what he's doing, before he's even thought about what he could do to protect Luffy he's on his knees and he's screaming at the heavens _TAKE ME INSTEAD!_

And he can't delude himself into thinking he doesn't care anymore.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And like I said before I'll have my requests open this Saturday (mar19) for my birthday. :3


	38. Rebecca

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dressrosa, Salute Your Champion

 

Mr Soldier finds her when she is young: she doesn't remember much else but being with him. She remembers her mother, bits of: pink hair that's like hers, and sunflowers, and clever fingers that taught her how to braid, she remembers that much, but that is about all she remembers. She's had Mr Soldier for as long as she knows, and what she knows from Mr Soldier has been simple.

She cannot be weak. She is a princess. She is calm and quiet and level headed and she must not be weak.

But she is the one who teaches herself how to fight. She knows Mr Soldier will not teach her, and so punches her knuckles bloody, picks fights till her muscles ache, runs the length of the city in games of tag that Mr Soldier does not realise has more than one purpose.

And yet, she is still too weak. He protects her, again and again and again, and it makes her cry to see his broken body spread in the mud, and so she finally asks for the one thing she knows he does not want to give.

_ Teach me to fight,  _ she says, but he shakes his head.

_ Teach me to fight!  _ she orders, hands gripping mud, but he shakes his head.

_ Please,  _ she begs.  _ Teach me to fight. _

He does not shake his head, and she can see him struggle. 

Because she begged him.

Because she clasped the hands he'd sworn to protect and keep untarnished and unsullied forever in front of his face, and begged him.

She goes down on both knees in the dirt and says,  _ please. Please, because I cannot protect my people like this. Teach me how to fight. Teach me how to win, Mr Soldier, because this is one of the things I need to know. _

And Mr Soldier takes one look at her, sitting her in the dirt, and says  _ I will make you Dressrosa's champion _ .

He does not realise that she sees champion and warrior and princess in the same sentence, the same word, all tangled up in a sense of loyalty to her country that is more tightly bound than Doflamingo's to his family. 

He does not realise that those words will come back to haunt him, because he does not realise that he thinks his daughter should only have defended, never have fought.

Fought bloody and long and hard, and he wishes she didn't yet he'd been the one to place his swords in her hands and taught her all that he knew that could help her, and the people of Dressosa placed a death sentence upon her head.

_ Die for us!  _ they scream, and in every fight Rebecca hoists her sword to the sky and shouts,  _ Gladly! _

_ I will ride upon whatever stead you will give me, in whatever armour you chose to bestow upon me, with whatever sword and shield I will be given. _

_ Dressrosa, salute your champion, and I will save you.  _

_ I am your princess, and I bow before the people. _

He is the one who teaches her that her style will come from speed, that she is faster, that she is flexible, she has everything that they do not; those big, buff men who live and die by the Colloseum's rules, who fight and bleed out in the sawdust of the arena,  _ she _ is Dressrosa's champion and she will fight for them instead of glory.

She will fight for her people because that is what a princess does. She does not stand down. She does not keep her hands clean.

Mr Soldier watches her take her first life in her first fight and thinks,  _ I have ruined my daughter. _

All Rebecca thinks as she hoists her sword is,  _ I will save my people. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Based off a prompt on the op fanfic meme that I really really loved,,,,  
> THERE ARE SOME GOOD ONES AND I WANT TO WRITE THEM ALL IT'S REALLY BAD. The next one is also kind of based on a prompt from there, and a tumblr prompt too vuv


	39. MarcoAceSabo

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ace as a shapeshifter AU only it didn't end up like that. 
> 
> Also Ace is an idiot.

Ace was (in completely and irrefutably certain terms,) an idiot.

After all – what sane, intelligent person managed to accidentally Magick themselves into a _dog_?

Ace was even _more_ of an idiot for thinking that Sabo wouldn’t immediately catch on to his plan to set him up with a stranger in the dog park. After all, how subtle was being dragged along by a hulking beast of a creature, and then tripped into the unwitting (though, _woah_ , really amazing) arms of a complete stranger?

“Oh God,” he said, feeling his face flush and trying to untangle himself, but Ace persistently resisted being anything but a hassle until Sabo gave a firm tug on the lead and made Ace see how pissed he was. “I’m so, so sorry about this.”

“It’s alright,” said the blond stranger, giving a patient smile. “I’ve a dog too.”

How on earth was he meant to say, ‘oh, no, that’s not _really_ a dog, that’s my kind-of boyfriend trying to set us up on a date’?

Sabo opted to keep his mouth shut, instead giving an awkward grin and apologising once more, only to have it waved off. Ace gave a whine, and Sabo cast him a sharp glare, mentally telling him to zip it.

Thankfully, Ace seemed to get the hint.

He was now more preoccupied with Ace winding his leash around Sabo’s legs, and Sabo tried to figure out what he could say to get Ace to stop before he suddenly realised that Ace’s plan hadn’t ended when Sabo was tripped into a stranger. Before he could snap out an angry word – or even a warning to the poor man in front of him – Ace jolted forwards, tightening his lead around both Sabo’s and the stranger’s legs.

With a yelp he lost his balance, and in an awkward tangle of limbs and bruised knees they both hit the floor.

And then Ace _sat on him._

It wasn’t even though Ace – in all his “infinite wisdom” – had managed to transform himself into a _small_ dog. No, he’d gone for a hulking beast of fluff and slobber, and all 100-odd kilos of said hulking beast _refused to move._

Sabo was _so_ going to kill Ace if he managed to get out of this without dying of embarrassment. Murder was in Ace’s future, or, at least it would be, if Sabo had his way. As Sabo was not currently a _dog_ he thought his opinion may’ve had a bit more merit than Ace’s.

He was struggling to untangle himself from the stranger and Ace’s lead, when suddenly the stranger froze and squinted at both him and Ace.

“Are you- I’m sorry, this may seem a bit strange, but is your dog-?” he said, and then stopped, brow knit, before blurting, “I think your dog’s a person, yoi.”

Sabo stared at him, feeling grass prickle under his shoulder and trying to ignore the fact that they were still ridiculously close, thanks to Ace’s body weight. Ace seemed to give a shuffling laugh, however, and that cinched the deal for Sabo. “Yes, I know.”

“You…know?” the stranger asked, starting to squint at him almost suspiciously. Sabo gave a slow nod, and finally managed to push Ace off them with a grunt, sitting up.

“Yes, I know. One of his stupid spells went wrong while I wasn’t there, and I’ve no idea how to fix it.” The stranger’s expression seemed to clear slightly, understanding dawning on his face, and Sabo offered him a small smile. “If you have any suggestions, I’d love to hear them.”

“Well, I’m sure I have some right now, but if you’d like I could take him to my workshop?” the stranger stood, brushing grass stains from his pants, but Sabo only stared at him in confusion before the stranger seemed to jump. “Ah, right, I apologise. I run the Whitebeard emporium, yoi. Have you heard of it?”

Who _hadn’t_ heard of it was a better question, Sabo thought weakly, knowing that surprise was written all over his face at he stared up at what surely had to be Marco, one of the youngest mages to ever be invited - and leave - the king’s courts. To make things even more fantastical to Marco’s tales of success, he’d managed to enter a bond agreement with a Phoenix, one of the rarest birds in the world. 

His jaw worked uselessly as he tried to figure out what to say, and he could see Marco shift uncomfortably on his feet before Sabo could control his amazement. Ace nudging his back pointedly made Sabo snap back to attention, and with a quick look at Ace, he was able to figure out what Ace wanted him to do. 

Standing quickly, Sabo managed to give Marco a curt nod, grabbing Ace’s lead again and trying not to think that maybe Ace hadn’t been trying to set them up on a date after all. The thought made sour disappointment curl in his chest, but he quite firmly told himself that Ace came first. He’d likely just wanted to get Sabo to someone who could help, and as Sabo had no idea where he could find a magician, Ace had decided just dragging him to the nearest Magician would do. 

“So-” he started carefully, trying not to feel his anxiety ricochet inside his chest. This had been so much easier when Ace’s fate hadn’t rested on Sabo not making a fool of himself (though he feared damage had already been done). “Where is this ‘workshop’ of yours?” 

* * *

It took two long, _awkward_ hours for Marco to finally figure out what was wrong with Ace, and by the point Sabo had been afraid that Ace was to spend the rest of his life as a dog. That would’ve made their already interesting relationship more difficult, as far as he was concerned, and he wanted _that_ to be avoided at all costs. 

Their current status of “I’d kiss you if you asked but also please hold my hand and hey you know if you want to sleep in my bed that’s cool too. Have fun on your date tomorrow!” was more than confusing enough. 

Sabo’s nails made quiet clicking noises as he tapped them against the bar in Marco’s workshop, keeping time for him better than the out-of-tune clock on the wall. 

He’d been kicked from the ‘inner sanctum’ of Marco’s laboratory as Marco worked on undoing the last of the mess Ace had created, and judging from the blue that currently shone underneath the door, that was probably for the best. He’d been exposed to more than enough magic to know that any accidental interference on his part wouldn’t end well.

The colours faded from beneath the door and Sabo couldn’t help but sit up a bit straighter, leaning towards the door impatiently. It took all his self control to stay on the seat Marco had relegated him too, and that self control only waned as more than a minute passed.

As he was about to get up and go for the door, regardless of the trouble it would cause, Ace suddenly barged through. Sabo felt his shoulders unknit at the sight of Ace, unharmed and still - thankfully - dressed in the clothes he’d been wearing before he turned into a dog. Though, for some reason he now wore a dark beanie pulled low over his messy curls.

He would’ve paid more attention to that, to be honest, but an armful of Ace lifting him from his chair made the thought fly from his head and he laughed as Ace picked him up and spun him before setting him down. Ace nuzzled into his neck, squeezing his waist tightly, and Sabo gave a breathy laugh, hugging Ace back and ruffling Ace’s hair, knocking his beanie askew as he ran his fingers through Ace’s soft locks and against the big fluffy ears ontop of his head.

_Wait, what._

Sabo took a step back, gripping the beanie in one hand, and Ace gave a quiet yelp, trying to cover the large dog ears that still protruded from his head.

“Oh you’ve got to be kidding.” Sabo said. “Also, really? You _really think_ you would’ve been able to hide this from me? Ace, we sleep in the same bed half the time!”

“I was just gonna- approach it slowly?” Ace said, trying to give him an innocent grin, but that look hadn’t worked while he was a dog and it wasn’t going to work now. Sabo gave a low groan, gently knocking the back of Ace’s head, and Ace’s ears drooped just like they had when he was a dog.

It really, really shouldn’t have been as adorable as it actually was. Sabo made a mental note to never, ever mention it to Ace.

“It was inevitable that Ace would end up with animalistic features due to the nature of the spell, yoi. You’re both rather lucky that it’s something this easily hidden.” Marco said, tone clinical, but then it softened, almost teasing as he directed his attention to Ace. “I’m more curious about the bed comment, you’ll have to excuse. I thought mine was the only bed you shared.”  

Ace flushed, giving another one of his ‘whoops I’m in trouble. Please forgive me?” grins, but Sabo wasn’t even paying attention to that, instead staring at Marco.

Ace had-

Ace had won over one of the most powerful wizards of their generation?

“Ace,” Sabo said slowly, clapping Ace on the back (probably a little harder than was warranted, but then again - Ace _really_ should’ve mentioned winning over someone like _Marco._ ) “Please know that I’m really proud of you, because _wow_ you scored, but also I’m pissed because I really would’a liked to know about this _before_ I had to ask your other boyfriend for help because you’d messed up a spell.”

“Not _technically_ my boyfriend,” Ace mumbled under his breath, but then his ears suddenly perked up. “Wait, _other_ boyfriend?” 

Under his gaze Sabo felt his cheeks burn, and coughed into his hand. “Well, I mean-” he started uselessly, before snapping, “don’t change the subject! You still should’ve told me about Marco, and you should’a told Marco about _me!_ ”

“I didn’t wanna lose either of you though,” Ace mumbled, ears drooping. “I mean, I know I should’a mentioned it, and I promise I was going to! That’s what the spell was for, I was gonna design messenger pups and have us all get together so I could tell you and like, you’know, ask you if you wanted to- _actually_ date but it- and I-!”

“You were nervous, and messed up the spell,” Marco finished, the words phrased as a question but the tone answering for Ace’s unfinished sentence. Ace nodded, shifting on his feet, and then Sabo saw him take a deep breath.

“I am really, _really_ sorry about never- you’know, mentioning either of you. To each other.” Ace said, back straight and poise perfect, and Sabo felt an internal smile grow because Ace only ever looked like that when he was one hundred percent serious about something, a habit drilled into him by Makino, the Witch who’d first taught Ace. “And- I know I don’t really deserve to ask for your forgiveness for lying, if- if you’ll give it to me then- then- did you- did you want to- want to go on- hang out- altogether sometime? As a- a date hangout. Not just a hangout hangout. I mean, if you want to just hangout that’s fine too! It doesn’t have to be a date! I just love spending time with both of you, and- and-”

Sabo couldn’t help but let his eyes flick to Marco, wanting to know what he was thinking. Sabo’d already decided, trusting Ace implicitly and knowing that if Ace’d said he was going to introduce them, he’d meant it, but Sabo wanted to know what Marco thought about this before he promised both of them.

He caught Marco’s eye, and the silent question posed, and Sabo just gave him a mischievous smile, refusing to answer. Marco rolled his eyes, and Sabo could’ve sworn he saw the flicker of a tongue being stuck out. It almost made him laugh.

“I think-” Marco said slowly, “that I’d prefer to just ‘hangout’. without the dating, for the time being. Just to see how this would all work out. But, i do have to confess that-” he paused, the hint of a smile playing across his cheeks, “I already have some ideas, and I quite like the thought of them.”

“I thought you’d finally figured out my one of my types and were trying to set me up while you were a dog,” Sabo confessed with a shrug. “So I don’t have much opposition either, to be honest.”

Ace’s slumped shoulders had seemed to straighten with every word, and at the end of Sabo’s sentence his grin had stretched into a wide beam. “Really?” he said, and when both Sabo and Marco nodded a tail suddenly sprang to life behind Ace and began to wag rapidly. Sabo had to clap his hand over his mouth to smother his laughter.

At least he could say with these two around his life would likely never be boring. After all, magicians always had the most ridiculous tales of spells to tell, and if he ever ended up living with two of them-?

Well, Sabo would be lying if he said he wasn’t looking forward to that. 


	40. Zolu

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> modern AU. some swearing / mentions of minor violence

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> a birthday present for a friend.

Moving into a new apartment wasn’t something Zoro had particularly wanted to do halfway through the year. In fact, he rather would have avoided it all year round, perfectly happy to continue staying in the slightly rundown place he’d called home for the past three years. However, when Zoro casually mentioned to Kuina during their weekly calls that the ceiling had almost fallen on him, she had demanded that he find a new place to stay.

As her threat was that unless _he_ found some place, she’d do it for him and paint it fluorescent yellow after having done so, he’d grumbled in irritation but complied.

It had taken a little while to find some place suitable for him and all the little knick-knacks he’d somehow managed to collect and couldn’t be bothered trying to sort through and get rid of, but eventually he’d located the perfect place, and had braggingly told his sister that there was no way she’d be able to complain about it. Well-kept, facing a park, close to the uni and with quiet neighbours (though there was one guy in 413 down the hall who swore constantly and another blond asshole that often woke him from his light sleep by going through the halls at 5 am), Zoro was quite pleased with his choice.

Now, coming down for her bi-yearly visit, Kuina had demanded to stay with him in his fancy new ‘American’ apartment, forgoing staying with her friends this time so she could spend her two work-free weeks just hanging around Zoro. Of course, that meant that she also expected him to have proper food instead of takeaway, so he was currently laden with shopping bags, struggling up one of the numerous hills that lay between his apartment and the store. 

There were four bags on his left arm, five on his right, and two were currently cutting off the circulation to his fingers. Another one was cradled to his chest, making it difficult to see where he was going, but he carefully managed it, comforting his aching arms with the thought that he was almost home.  
However, as he crested the last hill between his apartment he heard an ominous sound; the quiet overstretching of a plastic bag.

 _Oh shit,_ he thought in sudden panic, trying to locate which bag it had come from, _don’t you dare-_ Almost as though a petulant child that had heard him speak his thoughts, the plastic bag groaned mightily again, and Zoro quickly dropped all of them to the ground, only just remembering to put down the one with the eggs carefully and not let them break.

Inspecting them with a critical eye, he spotted that the juice and rice bag was the one that’d nearly given way, and the milk wasn’t far behind; his shoulders dropped in an inaudible sigh as he tried to figure out how he was meant to get it all home.

“Hey, are you okay?” a voice asked from in front of him, sounding almost curious.

“Huh?” Zoro asked stupidly, looking up from where he crouched to see a young man standing in front of him, head tilted to the side. “Why’d you want to know?” he demanded, and then regretted it when he saw the man’s lips purse slightly. Kuina always told him off for what she had dubbed his ‘resting anger face’, but Zoro had never managed to keep it under control.

“’Cause you dropped all your stuff,” the stranger replied, rocking back on his heels and tucking one hand into his pocket, the other pointing at the yellow mess currently oozing onto the pavement. “And your eggs are leaking.”

 _Goddamnit,_ Zoro thought to himself, and glared at the man as though he’d been the cause of this misfortune. Oddly enough, that just seemed to make him smile more, completely unperturbed by Zoro’s angry look. 

“That’s not actually an answer,” he growled in irritation, annoyed by the unchanging expression, and rearranged his shopping bags so that the eggs were now alone (though the damage had already been done, and most of the other things in the bag had been coated in yolk). Juice now cradled instead of carried, to prevent the bag from stretching and breaking any further, Zoro half-staggered to his feet under the weight, “and I don’t need your help.”

The young man looked to almost be on the verge of pouting, but as Zoro stood he grabbed a strawhat that was resting on his back and plopped it on his head, grinning brightly. “Alright then!” he chirped, and Zoro felt his eyes widen slightly in surprise at the completely uncensored smile; the perfectly open _beam_ that was practically directed his way, before the stranger moved past him, a jaunty jump to his step.

Zoro was still standing dumbstruck as he disappeared over the ridge, and it wasn’t until the wind blew again, chill sneaking in under his clothes, that he realised he hadn’t even gotten the brightly smiling stranger’s name.   

* * *

Kuina came a few days after that meeting, and Zoro had picked her up from the airport. She’d dumped all of her stuff at his place, and then demanded they go for a walk so Zoro could show her around. Bundled up against the cold, they rapidly fired insults at each other and traded stories, switching between Japanese, Korean and English with practised ease. Though Kuina wasn’t fluent in Korean, and Zoro only knew Japanese due to a few years spent in Japan, they both survived the conversations well – certainly better than any novice would have.

And then they’d run into the mystery-name stranger.

Zoro hadn’t been expecting it – they weren’t even close to his apartment this time, having gone further than he’d expected as Kuina decided she wanted to explore some of the alleys, and when he spotted the strawhat he’d frowned and passed it off.

And then the man had turned the corner and spotted Zoro from the corner of his eye.

Zoro watched as his entire demeanour changed, his drifty confidence turning into a bouncing jubilancy, and almost stepped backwards as the man happily bounded over and came to a stop in front of him, grinning bright enough to light up the city. “Aw man, hi! I totally forgot to get your name the other day, which was totally stupid because you seemed pretty cool, even if you did have a kind of grumpy face, but I think that was because of the eggs-” he took a breath, fastened Zoro with another grin that had him reeling even more than the sudden onrush of words, “so I wanted to know if you wanted to hang out!”

“Oh, he’s kind of cute,” Kuina remarked teasingly in Korean, elbowing him in the side, and Zoro glared at her, shoving her back even as she grinned. “Did you meet him during a _date_?” her shit eating grin got even wider, and Zoro glared even more, seeing the still-nameless shopping-bag man look between them curiously.

“I did _not,_ ” he said in Korean, tone foul and eyes narrowed, and Kuina had to clamp her lips together to keep from laughing; he could see her shoulders move slightly with the gesture.  

“You so did,” Kuina said, this time in English so that strawhat knew what they were talking about, and the dark-haired man tilted his head to the side, a questioning expression on his face.

“Did what?”

“Contemplated asking you on a date,” Kuina said flippantly, and Zoro stared at her in absolute horror, his internal monologue dissolving into an incomprehensible shriek. What on earth had _possessed her?_

“I did not!” he yelled, slipping automatically into Japanese and barely realising he’d done it until he saw how hard Kuina was trying not to laugh. “I did _not_ ,” he growled in English, and turned to the man to explain his sister’s twisted sense of humour, but was interrupted. 

“I thought you had a girlfriend though.” the man said to Zoro, blinking curiously, and then turning his attention to Kuina, “Aren’t you his girlfriend?”

“ _Girlfriend?_ ” Kuina asked incredulously, before snorting as though it were the most amusing thing she’d heard all day. Considering that they were legally related, and that Zoro had never even looked twice at a girl, it probably was to her. “No way in hell. He’s my brother.”

“ _Oooh,_ ” strawhat said, the noise one of complete understanding, and he gave a nod. “Well,” he remarked, and was it Zoro’s imagination or had his grin turned cheeky for a moment? “Are you still contemplating going on a date?”  
“With who?” Zoro asked, squinting at him in confusion, having lost track of the conversation at around the same point he’d realised his sister had lost all sense and was set to ruin his life.

Kuina groaned loudly next to him, dropping her head into her hands, and the man locked his lips, looking about to laugh. “Him, you numbskull!” Kuina said, giving a sharp gesture in the direction of the stranger.

“I don’t even know your name,” Zoro argued, because that was one of his more pressing concerns.  “What if you’re an axe murderer? I mean, I know I could fight you, but I don’t want to have to tell someone I was late because I fought a twenty year old axe murderer.”

“Only reason you’d be late was because you got lost,” Kuina mumbled under her breath, and Zoro glared in her direction again, irritated with her snide comments.

“I’m not going to get lost,” he snapped in Korean, and she scrunched up her nose at him, before indicating her head in the direction of their quiet observer. Zoro felt his ears flush in embarrassment, knowing that while practising his languages with Kuina was a good thing, doing so by accident and in front of other people was _probably_ not one of the smartest things he’d ever done. 

 “Sorry,” he mumbled.

“I’m not accepting your apology,” the dark-haired man said, sounding petulant, and Zoro stared in befuddlement at him as he crossed his arms grin wide on his cheeks. “Not unless you give me your phone number, and let me prove I’m not an axe murderer!”

“I don’t even have your name!” he protested, and saw the young man pause as the realisation struck him, before his grin returned and he stuck out his hand, laughing.

“I’m Luffy! It’s nice to meet you mystery man.”

“I should be the one calling _you_ that,” Zoro grumbled, crossing his arms and not taking Luffy’s outstretched hand until Kuina elbowed him in the side. He was going to get a bruise there if she kept that up!

“This idiot’s name is Zoro,” Kuina chimed in, as though he couldn’t have said it for himself, “and I’m sure he would _love_ to go on a date with you, Luffy. If he doesn’t, then I’ll just drag him along anyway, because he wouldn’t know a good thing if it hit him in the face, and I have hit him in the face _many_ times.”


	41. MarcoSabo

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> based on http://ablueeyedbeautifulletdown.tumblr.com/post/139308524217/in-reply-to-my-first-ask-evah-thank-you! ;u; by @ablueeyedbeautifulletdown

 

 _We're both remarkable unsubtle,_ is what Sabo can’t help thinking when he catches sight of the flower Marco has just awkwardly whisked behind his back. 

He knows it’s not just Marco that’s not subtle, though, because Marco’s face has already done the cute little thing where his eyes crinkle and he smiles like the giant sap he is, and Sabo just _knows_ that he’s seen the card that Sabo spent half of last night panicking over. 

Somehow, now that he’s actually with Marco, the insecurities all seem to fall away, like he was poised on the edge of autumn, just waiting for the change. 

He knows, now. Knows that his card and the words inscribed on the inside are the right choice.   
  
He just can’t help but wonder if Marco’s beaten him to the punch, though, because Sabo’s pretty sure he saw a flash of gold ringing the daffodil that Marco’s holding. His hand finds Marco’s, and as they start to walk he grins, just waiting to see who’ll go first but knowing, with absolute certainty, that he won’t mind following where this will lead.


	42. SaboLaw

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> innuendos / implied nsfw content

“He can do _you,_ huh?” Ace teased, nudging Sabo in the ribs, and with a foul glare, Sabo swatted his elbow away.

“Oh shut up Ace,” he said, refusing to look at Ace’s half-leer, and ignoring the flush on his cheeks. “I don’t see _you_ making any headway with Marco.”

“I’m working on it!” Ace defended, “Besides, at least I haven’t slipped up _that_ badly. Though it does appear to have summoned your boy toy…”

“He’s not a boy toy!” Sabo said, before realization hit him and his head whipped around to see that Law - all glorious, water-soaked 6ft of him - was coming this way. He barely registering that Ace had sniggered and abandoned him, still focused on trying not to flush. “Hey Law.” He managed, silently congratulating himself on not squeaking.

Law glanced after Ace, goggles loose in his hand, before giving an adorable frown, his nose crinkling. “I- I believe I may have had water in my ears earlier. Did you-?”

Sabo felt his barely controlled blush return in full force, embarrassment burning hot in his belly, and his head snapped to the pool. “Did I what?” he asked, knowing he looked more than a little conspicuous as he tried to avoid looking at Law.

Law paused, mouth open, but he shook it off. “…Never mind. Sorry to bother you, Sabo. It was probably just the water.”

Was that a flash of disappointment on his face?

Before he could question himself, Sabo scrambled to his feet, grabbing onto Law’s wrist. “Law I-” he started, but the words died at the sight of Law’s expression. “Party!” he said instead, grin stretched wide and fake, “At my place. My party, obviously. I was wondering, I mean, if you weren’t busy- did you want to come?”

There was a brief moment of silence, and then Law’s mouth quirked slightly at the corners in the ghost of a smile, and Sabo felt his stomach twist. “Only if you’re there.” Law said, and Sabo was left standing on the grass, shell-shocked, as Law snapped his goggles over his face and went back to the pool.


	43. MarcoAce

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> kiiiiind of implied dubious consent?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> prompt for "Firm Kiss"
> 
> I don’t really have a plot nor an explanation for this tbh. It’s actually one of the only drabbles I think I’ve ever written where I don’t have an extensive plot behind it aha xD

 

Marco stepped aboard the Moby holding his side and trying to remind himself to breathe evenly. The rest of his division filed around him, many others supporting their own injuries, and Marco quickly directed most to the infirmary, refusing to let his voice waver. He could feel blood staining his fingers, warm and wet and utterly disgusting, but kept his head high. 

Seastone was a pain in the _ass,_ he thought to himself, almost idly, and tried to probe his wound, searching for shards to pull from his skin. It was slow, distracting work, and that was likely why he missed Ace until Ace was close enough to touch. He shied backwards, eyes narrowed, but didn’t miss how Ace’s eyes flicked down to his side.

“You- you got-?”

“Not badly.” Marco said evenly, trying to sound soothing because he knew that Ace- Ace had this little _thing_ about death, but Ace’s eyes had only narrowed. 

“You could bleed out like this, though, blood loss-”

“But I won’t. As soon as the seastone’s out I’ll be fine. No chance of me dying, yoi.”

“And if you don’t do it on time?” Ace demanded, hands against his chest, pulling him close by his jacket lapels “You need to take care of yourself, Marco, you’re- you’re not allowed to-“

“Not allowed to get hurt?” Marco grinned at him, resting his hands on Ace’s shoulders. “I wish.” His thumbs traced slow circles against Ace’s shoulders, trying to be soothing, and though his words were gentle he tried to make to pass it off as a joke, tried to make Ace relax. “Besides, I just got injured, not stabbed repeatedly. The marines are worse off.” 

“You don’t _get_ injured,” he said, and Marco almost sighed, letting his hands move from Ace’s skin to his wrists, wrapping gentle fingers around Ace’s shaking hands.

“I’m not invincible, Ace.” He said calmly, bending his head just a bit closer to Ace’s, “I have a body, and my body gets hurt.”

“I don’t want you to,” Ace said, in a petulant tone that was half an order, and Marco would’ve laughed had phantom pain not persisted in hovering around his abdomen. 

“Sorry, yoi,” he said laughingly, “I’m afraid I can’t listen to that.”

Ace moved, his strength forcing Marco’s head lower, and in his surprise he didn’t fight. Lips, teeth; the harsh press of a body; a face, desperate and hurt and Marco could see Ace’s eyes screwed up, scared. 

He blinked, and would’ve moved back, startled, but his jacket stopped him, and Ace followed his bare hesitations, followed him trying to pull his head away. 

Ace finally let go, drawing away slowly, and his expression was only serious as he ordered, “You’re not allowed to die.”

Marco peeled Ace’s hands off his jacket, thumbs digging into the underside of Ace’s wrist.

“And you’re not allowed to kiss me,” he got out coldly through gritted teeth, and Ace’s jaw set, the glimmer of stubborn anger in his eyes. 

“Then you do it,” he replied.

“I don’t want to.”

A smirk drifted around Ace’s mouth, painful and sharp.

“Liar.”

“That’s not for _you_ to decide.” He spat, feeling his lip curl, and saw Ace’s eyes finally flick away. 

It should’ve felt like a victory, that Ace coincided to the knowledge that Marco was right but-

But it felt nothing like winning.  


	44. MarcoAceSabo

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Conveyor Belt of Doom / Superhero AU

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AHHH THIS IS SO OLD ALL MY REQS ARE SO OLD I CRY. This is from that one superhero AU! (http://archiveofourown.org/works/5003233/chapters/11498176)
> 
> This is the definition of the "conveyor belt of doom" (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/ConveyorBeltODoom?from=Main.ConveyorBeltOfDoom)

 

“Okay, I get the fact that we need bait to lure in Blue,” Ace said, and Marco was sure that if he had his arms free they’d be crossed, “But why do _I_ have to be the damsel?”

“Damsels have got to be beautiful, no?” 

Ace cocked an eyebrow at him, and Marco grinned, pressing a kiss to his furrowed brow and making doubly sure that if worse came to worse, Ace would be able to slip out of the ropes tying him down. Ace’d consented to wearing one of Thatch’s inventions - a watch that’d block his powers, to make triply sure that Blue wouldn’t realise Ace and Firefist were the same person - but Marco wanted a way for Ace to escape if things didn’t go the way they planned.

“You’d still be making a _fine_ damsel, Phe,” Ace said, lips twitched into a teasing grin, and Marco gently hipchecked him. Then, he quickly checked his mask to make sure it was in place before allowing his arms to shift and moving to the main control panel, close to the entrance Blue would likely use to bust into the abandoned wood chipping factory.

“Blue likes you better than me,” Marco said, and Ace snorted loudly. 

“That is an utter lie and you know it.”

Marco was about to reply when their proximity alarm beeped, and a look of concentration flew over Ace’s face. 

“Ready?” Marco asked quietly, “Because there’s still time-”

“I need to know, Marco.” Ace said firmly, and Marco gave a small nod, trying to push the pallor on Ace’s face from his mind, or the fact that Ace had been gnawing on the inside of his cheek for the better part of half an hour.

Their plan was to figure out if Blue really was Sabo, but Marco still wasn’t sure if Ace really wanted to know.

Knowing meant having to admit that he’d been fighting the person he essentially considered his best friend for more than a year. Knowing meant having to figure out how to explain to Sabo that Ace and Marco were both - technically - supervillains, Knowing meant figuring out that Sabo had lied to them-

and admitting that they’d been lying themselves.   

The roof caved in, and Marco started back with a squawk of surprise, debris raining down with a crash. Blue crouched in the middle of the mess, head bent, and then he shook his blond hair free of dust, pulling his gaze up, and fastened a gaze burning with fury on Marco. 

He couldn’t help the shudder of fear that ran up his spine, but for Ace, he’d do anything - even if “anything” meant facing down an enraged hero. 

“I see you’ve found me,” Marco said coldly, and to his credit his voice didn’t waver, even as Sabo started towards him, lithe body seeming more lethal than it ever had. He started off slow, but quickly gained speed, and Marco scrapped the rest of his speech in favour of just hitting the button that’d start the conveyor belt. 

The screech of old machinery filled the factory, and the sound was meant to stop Blue, make him slow down and take stock of what he could do- 

But if anything he moved faster, jumping and then phasing through the one of the metal support bars, somehow managing to land on the walkway and then continuing to run.

“You can’t fight me and save him, too-” Marco tried to say threateningly, but Blue didn’t reply, phasing through the wall of the control room and skidding to a stop.

“I don’t need to fight you.” Blue said, slowly, his voice viciously, viciously cold. “I just need to beat you down fast enough for your healing to stop.”

Without any other preamble he struck out, and Marco found himself flying backwards, crashing through the door and skidding along the walkway outside. 

He had no idea that Blue was that strong-

Another kick sent him back again and this time Marco didn’t stop to think, getting to his feet immediately and blocking Blue’s next attack. Only the faint feeling of cold washed through him instead of a fist, however, and then something hit him in the back, driving him to his knees. 

Before Blue could hit him again Marco had rolled away, shifting to his intangible form to get through the railing and gaining wings to control his decent, but Blue’s knee landed in the small of his back and Marco was sent to the ground again, breath pushed from him at impact.   

Metal creaked under them, and then with a slow scream of metals scraping against each other, the walkway broke under them, crashing into one of the conveyors to the side and knocking logs free-

Marco hit the ground again, rolling to try and pin Blue (though how he could pin someone intangible-)

“ _I’m stuck!_ ” 

His heart froze, and Blue threw him to the side, knocking into the debris from earlier. Marco barely noticed the pain that surged in his chest or back, however, mind caught on Ace’s voice. They’d talked about what Ace would say- help, save me-

But _stuck_ had never come into it. 

His wide eyes caught on the conveyor belt where Ace was tied, and Marco’s heart caught in his throat. The log had rolled over, crushing Ace’s legs, and the ropes had tightened around Ace’s arms, preventing him from moving. 

And Ace, without his powers-

Ace wouldn’t be able to turn to flames and escape. 

He was trapped. 

Marco staggered to his feet, fending off Blue’s next few punches with swift dodges, but he didn’t even try to attack, shifting to his avian form and taking to the air. He managed to get to the upper levels again before Blue tackled him, binding his wings to his side and forcing Marco to crash, hitting the side of a support beam and spiraling. 

 _Please,_ he thought, terror clawing up his throat, and he struggled free from Blue’s grip, trying to fight back, but Blue was still giving him hell, layering punches one after another without giving him time to recover.

“ _Marco!_ ” Ace called, slipping from alterego to alias as his calm turned frantic, and Marco could feel his heart hammer in his throat, panic narrowing his vision even as he tried to back away from Blue’s fists. He was attacking in a way that Marco had never seen, not pulling any of his punches and striking out with a single-minded fury. 

Marco tried to strike out, but Blue phased through Marco’s flaming fist, grabbing Marco’s throat and hoisting him into the air. “ _Don’t_ hurt my family, you bastard,” he growled, lip curled into a vicious snarl and eyes narrowed behind his mask, and Marco wasn’t sure what made it harder to breath - that terrifying rage, or the hand tight around his throat. “You can come after me whenever you like, you can attack those of us who’re out here all the time, because we’re _ready_ to risk our lives, but touch my family again-”

He flung Marco to the side, and not even Marco’s healing prevented the painful impact as he hit the support beams of the roof and then fell to hit the floor. Not even the dull ache that spread through his chest, though, could prevent Marco from trying to stand and reach the control panel to hit the override switch so he could save Ace-

Blue moved, faster than Marco had ever seen him, phasing through the walkway and then sprinting across the bar underneath until he was above Ace. Ace, strapped down, body two seconds away from joining the scraps at the bottom of the wood chipper and powers far from his control at the moment, trusting Marco to save him-

Blue phased again, and Marco closed his eyes, unable to watch. His ears caught Ace’s thankful heave of air, almost hysterical, and Marco could feel his own chest loosen, tears springing to his eyes in relief.  

He almost collapsed to the floor then, barely able to stop the heady prayer he sent to the heavens, but forced himself to his feet, watching Ace cling to Blue in absolute terror.

 _I’m so sorry,_ he thought, standing on unsteady legs, and he shifted as subtly as he could, taking to the air. He couldn’t stay, not dressed as he was. but guilt made it hard to fly. 

Who knew that this plan would make him feel as though lead weights were attached to his wings?


	45. MarcoAceSabo

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> kiss on the cheeks

See, the most annoying part (if he can call it that,) about Sabo is that he shows his affection easily, while Ace sits there like some emotionally constipated potato. His fingertips settle like butterflies, gentle pressure on the small of Marco’s back, cautious and careful and if Marco shifts even minutely the warm pads of Ace’s fingers flutter away like they’d never been there. 

But Ace- 

Every time he leaves he presses a kiss to Marco’s right cheek, leaving behind the ghost of a tingling sensation. When he returns, he presses a kiss to Sabo’s left.

(And then, there’s one time where Ace doesn’t turn his head and neither does Marco and their noses brush just barely and there’s the softest sensation of a kiss on his lips instead. And when Ace comes home his hands are steady and Marco can move all he wants, knowing that Ace has his back.)


	46. Nami introspection

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Anonymous said: "I hope someday you get a taste of your own medicine - Nami"

She is young, not stupid. She is young, and angry, in a way that makes her feel like her voice is constantly stuck in the middle of her throat, tearing her apart with the secrets she keeps silent.

She is young and angry and desperate and as a child the easiest thing to do is wish that things could be different. That, with a set of magic words, she can bring down the Earth’s fury on the people who have wronged her.

She is young, and angry, and sometimes anger can make people a bit stupid, no matter how much they fight to keep in control.

She drives everyone away, all the people of Cocoyashi who would’ve mourned with her, and the rare few of Arlong’s crew who tried to befriend her ( _what do they want from you?_ she’d always ask herself whenever she considered letting anyone close. _What do they want from you, and what will they do to you when they realise you won’t give it?)_

But Hachi is-

Kind. 

Though, that in itself isn’t the right word. He is well-meaning, and naive in a way Nami could never afford.

He was kind to her. Even when she pushed him away with her whipping tongue, he’d come back with a seashell, and never tried to talk to her, only fetching whatever she needed. He was something like a friend, if a friendship could be formed when you hated the other person’s existence.

It was only jealousy and childish frustration that drove her when she’d wished for him to have a taste of his own medicine, but she’d never-

She’d never wanted this.

Revenge was never a concept that had any meaning behind it, and to see Hachi struggle so valiantly (uselessly, just like she did, for years-)

_I hope you get a taste of your own medicine! I hope you and everyone like you suffers like you made me suffer!_

_Everyone like Hachi?_ she questions herself now, staring at the Fishmen who are now fighting to keep their home _sa_ _fe._

_Everyone who only did what they thought was right, who followed people they trusted?_

_You'd be on that list, then, too. Who have you hurt without realising?_ she asks herself, watching Luffy fight in the water above her. She wonders if wishes can be changed, and as Luffy’s fist is set alight she clenches her jaw and watches Hachi, still injured from helping them.

_I hope you get a taste of your own kindness, some day. And I hope that those that take and never ask get what’s coming._

_Everyone like Arlong, who think they can steal whatever they like just because they’re stronger. Who think they can be bullies just because no-one else can fight back._

_Well guess what, Hody- Arlong- anyone like you…_

_I can fight back now._

_And if I can’t, then my captain will destroy you for me._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please review! <3


	47. zolu

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Anonymous said: "zolu “I’m falling to pieces”"
> 
> -Fluff. Just. Fluff

There was a hand in his face.

It took Zoro about half a second to realise that, and then another half a second to realise that the hand with it’s familiar dirt-and-salt smell and well-devloped callouses belonged to Luffy.

He shifted over, fumbling for the rest of where Luffy would be, only-

Arm. 

There was just an arm.

He bolted straight up with a strangled yell of alarm, clutching Luffy’s arm tightly and staring at it. The fingers waved at him, like this was something utterly normal, and Zoro gave a choked sound of confusion, waving his hand around Luffy’s arm as though the rest of Luffy may’ve been invisible. 

No such luck. 

The only part of Luffy currently anywhere near Zoro was the detached arm. 

There was a sudden clattering clash from halfway across the ship, and Zoro looked up just in time to see Luffy staggering out of the kitchen, laughing hysterically. Law was perched on the balcony above him, and Zoro took a moment to glare, recalling memories of what Law had done at Sabaody.

“Look Zoro, I’m falling to pieces!” Luffy yelled cheerfully, bits of him dropping _everywhere,_ and Zoro took a moment to simply stare at the utter _oddness_ of this situation before standing up, still clutching Luffy’s arm.

“Luffy,” he said, eyes narrowed as he stalked closer and brandished Luffy’s arm quite pointedly. “Why the fuck did you wake me up with an arm on my face?”

Luffy pouted, blinking innocently, but Zoro could see the hint of a mischievous  smile on his face, “Well you said I wasn’t able to sit on you and wake you up, so I didn’t!”

Zoro groaned, obediently moving to pick up Luffy’s wayward limbs and hoisting them into his arms. “Come on then,” he ordered, and Luffy half-hopped until Zoro could pick up what was left off his torso, dragging Luffy back to the mast. He sat down with a thump, some of Luffy’s appendages scattering to the grass, and Luffy landed next to him. 

Grabbing Luffy’s shoulder, Zoro set to reattaching the arm he’d woken up holding, easing it past bright red fabric until it slotted into place again. Then, he set to work on the rest of Luffy’s limbs, fingers quick but gentle as he reattached fingers and toes and one eye that had decided to go for a roll towards the balcony.

As he worked, Luffy hummed softly under his breath, flicking each limb as it was reattached and grinning when some of his fingers wiggled backwards until Zoro fixed them.

When he was done, Luffy grinned and planted a sloppy kiss on his forehead, bounding to his feet. “Thanks Zoro,” he chirped, and Zoro heaved a heavy sigh and leaned back against the mast. 

“No problem, Captain,” he mumbled, arms folded behind his head, and then there was slightly scratchy straw on his head and shade cast over his eyes. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **SweetWhispers:** Thank you!!! I'm glad you enjoyed!! ♡
> 
>  **OrangeJacket:** ♡♡♡♡♡


	48. saboala

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Anonymous said: "Prompt for you! "So suddenly Im the chosen one because my bra was poking me?""
> 
> Most of these were written last year im just So Bad at updating....d'you think i could get some tiny computer imp to do it for me??? Pfft

“All hail the chosen one! You touched the blessed spot!”

“Under my _boob?”_ Koala asked, discreetly trying to fidget with her bra yet again, without any of these crazy Grand Line islanders noticing her. It was new, brought for her by someone who kept tutting over her sports bras, and for some reason it had _metal_ in it.

“If I touch it do I become chosen number two?” Sabo whispered in her ear, obviously trying his hardest not to laugh, and Koala glared at him, jaw set angrily.

“If you even _try_  right now, Sabo, I swear to god you’re losing your hand.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Reviews are always appreciated!!


	49. Sabo & Koala

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Anonymous said: "could you write about koala being injured maybe? like in battle or she comes home after an ambush and then sabo is freaking out and super pissed?? ahh thatd be so awesome"
> 
> I love sabo & koala's relationship so much. Like....platonic or romantic it's To Good

There were three easy things that most Revolutionaries found out during their first couple of weeks living on Baltigo:

  1. Mealtimes with the Chief of Staff were minorly terrifying, and to be avoided at all costs. (This was rather simple to do, considering he often woke up late, and higher staff Revolutionaries were too pleased by everyone waking up earlier to correct Sabo’s habit.)
  2. Koala and Sabo were the closest friends on base, and worked together the most frequently too. (Everyone attributed it to Koala’s ability to keep Sabo on track, but Hack could do the same, and less fighting erupted. Still, at the end of the day, Koala and Sabo were almost always on the same mission.) 
  3. Stay the _hell_ out of their way if the other was injured.



It was rarely Koala, which is why most people weren’t used to seeing Sabo with his flaring coat cutting a ruthless path through anyone who got in his way to the infirmary. Koala’s partner had actually called the infirmary before she and Koala had docked, letting them know that Koala had suffered some musculature damage from extended use of her fishman karate, and been injured in an ambush. The infirmary staff had quickly gotten the news out to the other people in Baltigo at the moment, and warned them to stay out of Sabo’s way. 

Ivankov had, upon seeing Sabo’s enraged face, (the flames honestly made it worse, now,) quickly moved to the side of the door. They’d been placed there to guard the door from unwanted intruders, and while feasibly Sabo could be counted as an ‘unwanted intruder,’ Ivankov also didn’t want to get between him and Koala.

Sabo’s eyes flicked to him, demanding answers as he said, “Were they crushed?”

“It’s Koala, you think they wouldn’t have been?” they replied, and saw Sabo’s anger fade briefly, the hint of laughter replacing it. Then, his amusement turned to worry, and he pushed through to the other side, letting it slam shut behind him.

“What were you _doing?”_ they heard Sabo yell, and then chaos erupted, with nurses shouting, Sabo defending himself, and several crashes. Ivankov winced, set their mouth, and slid further away from the door, unwilling to be pulled into _that_ conflict. They were one of the people that Koala had mowed down one time to get to Sabo when he was injured, and while she had apologised, Ivankov still remembered the bruises. 

 _They are remarkably narrow-minded when the other was concerned,_ they thought to themselves, and was about to think more on that when suddenly they heard Koala yell, “ _Dumbass_!”

Sabo let out the loudest yelp Ivankov had heard, and began to whine at her, his words blending into an unintelligible, 

“Koaaaalllaaaaa! Why’d you dooooooooo that?” 

“Wow, I don’t know, the _mess_ you’ve made?”

“I’m meant to be scolding you! How dare you get hurt!”

“ _Hypocrite!”_ Koala shot back, and there was silence for a moment - Ivankov could easily imagine Sabo sticking out his tongue sulkily. Then, Koala heaved a sigh loud enough for Ivankov to hear it through the thick wood. “Honestly, you loser, I said I’d come home, and i’m home, aren’t I?”

Ivankov couldn’t hear Sabo’s reply, but whatever he’d said made Koala burst into laughter and reply with, “Fine, but only if _you_ promise to do what you’re told next mission, asshole!”

“It’s _hard_ though,” Sabo grumbled, most likely folding his arms, and Ivankov sniggered at the childish mental image their mind presented them with. “I don’t wanna.”

“To bad. You want no more injuries, you do the shit you’re supposed to.”

“Well hey, everything gets done!”

“ _THAT’S NOT JUSTIFICATION,”_ Koala immediately yelled, and Sabo began to laugh, side-splitting, contagious laughter that soon had Koala laughing right next to him. However, their laughs were broken when Koala yelped and then hissed, the very sound indicating her pain.

Ivankov heard soft whispers from behind the door, and then Koala laughed softly again, saying fondly, “Nerd.”

Sabo scoffed, and then - judging by Koala’s yelp of pain - most likely poked one of her bruises.

“How dare you punch me!”

 _Or maybe not,_ Ivankov, covering their mouth with one hand to stifle a laugh when they heard the obvious clunk of Koala punching Sabo.

“It wouldn’t hurt it you hadn’t gotten yourself hurt!” Sabo yelled, hissing and mumbling a whine under his breath, and Koala shot back once again, 

“ _Hypocrite!”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Reviews are adored m'friends!!!


	50. Saboala

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Anonymous said: "concern meme for saboala pleasee!! either 27 or 29???"
> 
> 29\. ‘Where does it hurt? Can you show me?’
> 
> This isn't super """shippy""" which i do kinda feel bad for, but I'm actually super happy w/ it,,, ;u; ♡

“Where does it hurt? Can you show me?” Sabo asked gently, his gloved hands prodding the little girl’s face, and she winced and patted at her cheek. He tilted her head carefully, making a soft tutting noise, and turned to Hack, asking, “Ice pack?” 

“On it boss,” Hack said, jogging off, and Sabo turned back to the young girl whom he’d dragged from a burning building. Thankfully they’d noticed that their skirmish had ignited several buildings before any of them had been too burnt, and Sabo had ran inside to save the little girl while the firefighters arrived. Still, it’d been a close call and Koala could see the little girl still shaking, aware of how close she’d come to more than just a bruise and a sore chest.

“Darn, I think you might have a bit of a story scar here, huh miss?” Sabo said, cleaning some blood off of her cheek and her arms, and her lower lip wavered, before Sabo laughed. “It just means you’ve got lots to talk about! Trust me, everyone always asks about scars. You can make whatever you want up, and no-one will know any different.”

“Where’d you get yours from?” the girl whispered, and Sabo grinned and winked.

“Fought a dragon.” 

The little girl pouted, glaring at him, and Koala almost laughed, barely able to hide her grin behind her hand when Sabo looked over and stuck his tongue out at her.

“Hey, Sabo, ice pack?” Hack said as he came up behind them, and Sabo grinned again, taking it off him with a quick ‘thanks.’

“Here you go, kid,” Sabo said, pulling off his cravat and wrapping the ice pack in it. “Keep that against your cheek, and it won’t hurt so bad tomorrow, huh? You’ll probably still have a few shiners, but hey - I’m sure purple looks nice on you.”

She giggled and pressed the ice pack to her face, heaving in a huge breath at the cold. Koala could see Sabo holding back laughter before he turned and strolled back over to her.  

“You know, you’re actually really good with kids.” She said, and Sabo looked at her curiously. 

“Really?” he asked, before putting his hands in his pockets and staring at the sky contemplatively. “I dunno, I guess so. Just feel like I’ve dealt with this before sometimes, you know?”

Koala rolled her eyes. “Got a little brother hidden away in your memories there, Sabo?” 

Sabo stuck his tongue out at her, and Koala quickly lunged forward to grab it, making him splutter and swear, his cheeks flushing. “’Legg _oooo!”_ he demanded, barely understandable as he tried to pry her grip off his tongue. Koala laughed and obligingly let go, making him stumble backwards before he regained his balance.

“You’re going to make a great dad some day, Sab,“ she said, tucking her hands behind her head, and watched as Sabo paused in brushing himself off to shudder, his face scrunching up.

“Yeaaaah, no thanks. I’ve had enough of weird father-figures to last me a lifetime. I am _so_ never _becoming_ one.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> please review! <3


	51. Strawhats Nakamaship <3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 12FREDDOFROGS said: "So you and nezkovsou want a prompt, eh? How about... Straw Hats, poisonous spiders and something that was once edible (preferably pudding) but now no-one knows quite what it is. Make with that you will."

The spiders had infected the pudding. 

It was not a sentence Sanji had ever heard before (nor, truthfully, had ever _wanted_ to hear,) and so when Usopp told him abashedly that the spiders he and Luffy had collected apparently evolved like butterflies and had become gravely poisonous, Sanji’d done a double take. 

When Usopp repeated himself and added them that he and Luffy had accidentally let them loose in Sanji’s kitchen, he’d fainted. 

He found himself now waking up on the foreside of the _Sunny,_ blinking at the brightly coloured beach umbrella that cast shade on his easily burnt skin. His head pounded faintly and Chopper squeaked at him as he sat up, but Sanji was more preoccupied with Usopp and Luffy, guilty perched next to him.

“I’m going to _kick your shitty asses,”_ he hissed, instead of questioning why he was on deck instead of in the infirmary, and Usopp yelped and half-fell on Luffy, curling up behind Luffy’s back. 

“We’re sorry!” Usopp quickly replied, nearly in tears, “We didn’t know they were poisonous!”

 _“Why were they in my kitchen?!”_ Sanji shrieked, and watched as Usopp began to sweat even more profusely and refused to meet his eyes. 

“We were having a race and they kept gettin’ lost on the grass,” Luffy said in explanation, and Sanji heaved in a ragged, uncomfortable breath at the thought of spider legs crawling across his kitchen benches and over his precious oven and his wonderful fridge.

“You’re disinfecting the whole fucking place,” he hissed, and Usopp nodded profusely. Luffy, uncharacteristically serious, mimicked him. It was a vain hope that Luffy would actually help, but Sanji felt his anger drain at the sentiment, sighing heavily and patting down his suit for a cigarette.

Then, he blinked, staring at the wooden boards below him and finally realising they were on deck instead of inside the infirmary. He turned to Chopper, a question on his lips, but Chopper had already picked up on it and sighed sadly, his eyes teary. “They took over my infirmary,” he said, his lower lip shaking. “The kitchen and infirmary are out of bounds until we figure out how to kill them, or fight them off.”

“ _Fight them off,_ ” Sanji echoed, feeling faint again, and contemplated if he could really afford another period of unconsciousness. 

Franky’s high pitched scream cut through his musings, and Luffy bolted upright, eyes narrowed at the sound coming from below deck. “ _SPIDERS,”_ Franky followed his scream with, suddenly bursting out from downstairs. “ _THERE ARE SO MANY SPIDERS!”_

“How many did you _catch?”_ Sanji said, whirling to glare at Usopp and Luffy, and Luffy grinned sheepishly, while Usopp refused to meet his eyes. 

“They were just-,” Usopp started, waving his hands a bit uselessly, “super _small.”_

“You’re not getting any of the pudding I made, oh my God,” Sanji said, clutching at his heart and trying to shove out the thought of thousands of tiny spiders racing around their ship.

“To be honest, I’m not sure I _want_ any of the pudding,” Usopp muttered, and Luffy pursed his lips, looking unsure if he should disagree because of his love of food, or agree because of the state the kitchen had been left in.

Sanji decided that he didn’t want to know, and turned on his heel to see if he could make it to the docking bay and stay off the ship until the infestation had been dealt with.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **RyuichiSakuma:** Haha, comments work just as well as extra kudos~ ;u; (And I love seeing the review notification pop up in my inbox ;u;  <333) Thank you so much man!!


	52. WB FAM + ASL

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Anonymous said: "“Ouch. That is not a pretty face.” When I read this line, Izo popped up in my mind... It's totally fine if you don't want to write Izo though :)"
> 
> sweet innocent nonnie…..underestimating my love of Izo + writing izo……And I love getting chara prompts!! They’re fun!! ;u;

“ _Oooo,_ sweetheart,” were Izo’s first words when he spotted Marco walking through the door, a bag of frozen vegetables pressed to his face. “That is _not_ a pretty face.”

“Thanks,” Marco grumbled, glaring at Izo, and Izo sighed heavily, tutting as he got up from the kitchen table and made his way over to Marco. Clicking his tongue, he peered at the large bruise already easily visible over Marco’s swollen eye and waited for further explanation. Marco gave a small mumbled curse under his breath, then finally said, “Sabo punched me.”

“He…what?” Izo asked, blinking in confusion. “But you two- were- that is _one_ bad ending to a movie night, Marco. What _happened?”_

Marco gave another grumble, smoothing the bag carefully over more of his eye, and for a moment Izo was almost distracted, certain that the pink on Marco’s cheeks was just from the cold. Then, he realised Marco was _blushing._

 _“Marco,”_ he said, trying not to grin, because anything that could make Marco blush was _surely_ embarrassing, and Marco groaned.

“Ace put on a horror movie and I accidentally scared Sabo!” he snapped, trying to cross his arms but failing badly when he couldn’t move the bag of peas from his eye. 

“You did _what?”_

 _“_ I went out for more snacks,” Marco got out through gritted teeth, his face screwed up into an almost growl, “and when I was gone, Ace and Luffy outvoted Sabo and put on a horror movie. And when I came back in they didn’t notice me, and I leaned over the couch to ask what they were watching and Ace screamed and tried to kick me and then Sabo screamed and threw the popcorn bowl at me and then punched me and _stop fucking laughing Izo!”_  

As though summoned by Izo’s relentless fits of laughter, Thatch wandered into the kitchen, then did a double take at the sight of frozen vegetables pressed to Marco’s eye. “ _Yooooo_ Marco, what the hell’s wrong with your face?” he grinned, then teasingly added,“Ah, wait, I’m sorry, that’s your normal frown.” 

Izo burst into more laughter, doubled over and wheezing at the sight of Marco’s disapproving, flat stare, and Thatch raised his hand in surrender, flapping his hands and asking, “Okay, legit though, what the hell happened? Did you fall straight into a door handle or something?”

“Straight into Sabo!” Izo half-howled, and Thatch only looked more confused. Marco, meanwhile, merely groaned,

“I am _not_ explaining this again, yoi!” he said, and then turned on his heel. Thatch immediately whined, his expression distraught, and raced after Marco. 

“Marco, no, what happened! Tell _meeeeeee!_ ” 

“ _No!”_ Izo heard Marco yell, and was sent into another fit of laughter, finding his chair so that he could collapse into it and hear the rest of his siblings begin to harass Marco for the story.

“Sabo _punched him_ ,” he wheezed quietly, and then burst into another fit of giggles, already mentally filing this story away to embarrass Marco with at a later date.

**Author's Note:**

> Feel free to send requests at my tumblr (authenticaussie.tumblr.com), and as a last note - please R & R!


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